Hazy Waters
by orangana
Summary: Lucy hides a darkness in her mind. She'd always been able to keep it under control, but what will she do when she starts to lose that battle? Only one person has ever silenced the whispers but he's lost to her. She holds onto her sanity by clinging to the closest replacement she can find. Can he save her or will he feel too betrayed to even try?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This idea popped into my mind and I had to write it! I've never written anything for Fairy Tail, so I'm hoping this goes well. Reviews are appreciated! Let me know what you think and if you'd like to see the next chapter. The story will loosely follow some events of FT before branching off into its own AU.**

 **I don't own Fairy Tail.**

The apple she's munching with her lunch is almost gone, but she hasn't noticed. Lucy is too relaxed in the warm April sun, lost her thoughts of how to complete her next job. A man had lost his prize winning birds when someone accidentally left their pen open. Rounding up giant, flightless pigeons is really a job for more than one person but she doesn't have a partner. For a brief moment, the Celestial Mage considered summoning her spirit friend, Aquarius, but quickly changed her mind. Aquarius was more likely to drown the birds than help return them to their owner unharmed.

Life as a freelance mage isn't easy work. The job requests she's been able to pin down, a whopping three of them, haven't paid much. Even skimping by with a small amount of food each day and staying in somewhat shady inns, her small savings is dwindling much more rapidly than she'd anticipated when she left home two weeks ago.

After packing away a few outfits and snacks, the blonde had stashed (is it stealing if the money was set aside for her, anyway?) all the money her father had given her for shopping into her belt pouch and snuck away after the last servant left her bedroom for the night. Although she was becoming extremely lonely, she didn't regret leaving the Heartfilia Estate for a moment. Freedom always came with a price, and the price she seemed to be paying was in the lack of companionship. But that was okay. She'd make friends when she joined a guild.

 _You're not alone._

Ignoring the familiar voice, Lucy packed away the uneaten half of her sandwich to save for later. Hearing a voice didn't disturb her as much as it used to. She had always sensed a dormant presence in her mind, but the voice was a new addition since leaving home. Was it normal to hear voices in her head? The young woman didn't think so, but she's wasn't about to start asking around. She was fairly certain she wasn't crazy, but others might think so if she explained why she felt she was never truly alone.

The young woman stood and stretched her arms over her head preparing to make the long walk to the area the pigeons were last seen. As she turned to grab her pack from its spot on the ground next to the bench she'd been seated on, the blonde noticed the shadows were unusually dark and seemed to be moving. Looking around in confusion, she realized there was a young, teenage boy crouched a few feet away, nearly hidden in the shadows. Thoughts raced through her mind as she wondered what he was hiding from and how he managed to hide in a shadow on a bright, sunny day with the only mild shade coming from a tall tree nearby.

Just as she was about to question him on his unusual hiding spot, Lucy realized the boy had slowly inched towards her pack and was wrapping his hand around the strap. Before he could pull her pack towards himself, Lucy grabbed onto the bag and screeched, "What are you doing?!"

The boy froze, considering how to handle this abnormal situation, but didn't release the strap. "You can see me?"

"Of course I can see you! Now give me back my bag!"

The pair tugged back and forth, the boy unwilling to pass up the opportunity for an easy meal and the young blonde afraid to lose most of her belongings. He was surprisingly strong for being so skinny, which frustrated Lucy to no end. Her temper was beginning to boil but she was working to control it. Losing it on the kid wouldn't help anything. The teen used his other hand to give the pack a strong pull, nearly ripping it away from the young woman. An aggravated sound escaped her lips as she stumbled forward. Patience gone, the blonde growled, which seemed to shock the young man momentarily and give Lucy the perfect opening. "Lucy Kick!"

As the teenage boy flew through the air and crashed into the tree nearby, Lucy instantly regretted her actions. She had no intention of letting him steal from her but she didn't mean to hurt the boy. Rushing over to the teen's crumpled form, Lucy apologized repeatedly, fretting over his condition and patting him to check for injuries. As she helped him sit up, she asked, "Are you alright?"

The boy nodded but didn't move to stand. It was rare for girls to pay him any attention, being homeless and usually fairly dirty. He wasn't about to pass up the opportunity to have a pretty girl touching him to check for injuries he knew were nonexistent. Plus, he may be able to at least talk her into giving him the rest of the food she had in her bag. But first he had to know, "How could you see me in my shadow form?"

The dark haired boy eyed the young woman skeptically as she shrugged, as if it wasn't a completely unusual circumstance. Lucy noticed his concerned, inquisitive look and paused in her dismissal. "No one else can see you?"

"Only my mentor."

"Oh." An awkward silence settled in as the two waited for the other to make the first move. Lucy noticed the boy had the most striking red eyes hidden under his dark, shaggy hair and was quite the cutie beneath the grime built up from poor hygiene. He wasn't very tall but had the long, lanky look young boys get before they shoot up to a surprising height. It was clear to her he'd probably be a very handsome man one day. He was too young for her, though. He couldn't have been more than 12. Feeling bad for the kid who was clearly in need of some help, she asked, "What's your name?"

After a noticeable pause, the boy said, "Ryos."

"Well, Ryos, my name is Lucy." Sticking out her hand for a formal introduction, she smiled brightly and waited until he shook her hand before saying, "I can't let you take my pack but I can share the rest of my lunch with you."

The two teens settled onto the bench Lucy had been occupying and she pulled out the sandwich she had put away. Before she could even ask if he liked the tuna salad, Ryos had inhaled the sandwich much too fast to have even chewed properly and stared into her bag as if he hoped more food was hidden away.

"Sorry, I don't have anything else with me." The blonde said apologetically, making Ryos sigh quietly in disappointment. Usually this would be his cue to leave but, for a reason he hadn't figured out, the boy wasn't ready to leave the older girl's side. Though the young dragon slayer avoided most people, he felt strangely comfortable with her. Even the restless shadows inside him had quieted down in her presence.

Lucy chewed her lip as she considered a short-term solution to both their problems. Maybe she could get him to help her with the request she had and they could split the reward. That way, she could still complete the job without asking her slightly psychotic spirit for help and wouldn't have to feel guilty about sending a hungry kid off with no way to eat.

"The shadow thing was a form of magic, right? So, you're a mage?"

Ryos nodded but didn't say anything in response, wondering if staying near Lucy was a mistake. What could she possibly want with his shadow form? She didn't look like the type to condone stealing but he didn't see any other way his magic could be useful for someone else. He still wasn't very good at using it to fight.

"Well, maybe you can help me round up some overgrown pigeons." Noticing Ryos' sudden discomfort seemed to fade away at her statement, Lucy felt encouraged to go on. "I'm a freelance mage with a job request that really requires two people, since it isn't something my magic will be very helpful with. Of course, I'd split the reward money with you."

The thought of having his own money made Ryos perk up. He'd been training for a little while now, so he should be able to handle helping her with a simple mission. Plus, it would give him a reason to stay with Lucy awhile longer. When he nodded, Lucy gave him another dazzling smile, which was even more incentive to stay. No one ever smiled at him that way, especially not anyone so pretty.

Now excited to get started, the blonde bounced to her feet. "This is great! Let's get going! We have to walk a little ways out of town to find the pigeons."

During the long walk, Lucy went over the details of the job request and brainstormed ways for the duo to work together to round up the giant, flightless birds. Their conversation was mostly one-sided, with Lucy carrying on the majority of it and Ryos occasionally giving his input about how he thought he could help. He wasn't much for talking, anyway, and liked the way Lucy's voice sounded.

The afternoon went by quickly as they worked together to herd the flock of birds back to their owner. Ryos' magic was much more effective than they expected it to be, since the birds seemed to be terrified of their own shadows, even more so of ones that stalked them. Lucy was doubly grateful for Ryos coming along because it took a little while for her to get comfortable around the birds. The owner had failed to mention the pigeons would be taller than her and dangerously stupid, mistaking Lucy for something edible a few times. Eventually, the teens worked out a method of herding the birds with Lucy in front acting as bait and a guide to keep the path clear, while Ryos kept the group moving together from behind.

With their reward money in hand, the pair made their way back towards the town. Lucy was quiet this time, though. She wanted to help Ryos while she was in town, but wasn't sure how to approach the topic. He hadn't said so, but she was fairly certain he was a runaway or an orphan. Being a runaway herself, she knew life had to be hard for him, especially being so young. At least she could pass for a young adult. He definitely couldn't pull that off. Deciding to just go for it, Lucy said, "If you don't have a place to stay tonight, you're welcome to stay at the inn with me."

When the boy looked bewildered and speechless, Lucy put her hands up and quickly added, "Not like that! I'm not some weirdo! I promise!" Groaning in embarrassment, the blonde scrambled for a way to fix the misunderstanding. Stumbling over her words, she tried to explain. "I just… well… you seem like you might not have anywhere to go and my room has two beds because they didn't have any other rooms available. You don't have to come at all, or you can just take a shower there and then leave. Ugh…I'm rambling. Sorry I brought it up."

A hint of a smile appeared on Ryos face and Lucy realized it was the first time she'd seen him smile all day. "Thanks. I'll come with you for now."

Relieved to have that worked out, the two started into another one-sided conversation as they finished their trek. Ryos was thrilled about how his day had gone, even if he didn't show much of that emotion outwardly. He had completed his first mission as a mage alongside the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen and now he would be able to spend more time with her. Although he knew she was likely only helping him out of pity, he didn't really care. Pride was something he'd had to let go of to make it as a homeless orphan. One day he'd become a member of Phantom Lord, then he could show everyone how strong he was meant to be.

After stopping by a food stand to get an inexpensive meal, the teens arrived at Lucy's room. It was small, with just enough space to fit two beds and a small table with one chair. Without giving much thought to his actions, Ryos sat down at the table and tore into his food. It had been so long since he'd had a freshly cooked meal. The smell had been taunting his starved belly all the way to the room, but he managed to refrain from snatching the bag from Lucy during the walk.

Deciding to give him time to eat as much as he wanted, Lucy grabbed a fresh outfit and went to the bathroom to shower. She took her time, enjoying the way her tired muscles relaxed under the hot spray. The mission hadn't been hard but her legs were tired after walking for so long. Eventually, she realized she had been in the shower much longer than planned and hurried to finish up so there would be hot water left for her temporary partner. A pang of loneliness settled in when she realized they'd likely go their separate ways tomorrow, which made the darkness in her mind stir. The blonde hated being alone after spending so many years feeling isolated in her family's mansion. When her emotions became too intense, her unwelcomed cargo would attempt to persuade her to accept its offerings of a power great enough to change her life. Ignoring the urging, she dressed quickly and stepped out of the bathroom to find Ryos sitting at the end of a bed as if he'd been waiting for her to finish. As soon as she laid eyes on the boy, the pressure in her mind eased.

"You can take a shower, if you want. I think there will be some hot water left for you." The blonde finished sheepishly. When he didn't get up right away, it dawned on her that a boy who steals to eat probably doesn't have any extra clothes to wear. Hoping she wasn't overstepping a boundary, she added, "If you want, you can use the robe in the bathroom and put your clothes outside the door in the laundry bag. Someone will stop by and take the bag of clothes to be washed overnight so you'll have something to wear tomorrow."

"Alright."

When Ryos closed the bathroom door, Lucy ate what was left of the food, surprised to see he had left her a good sized portion. She had expected him to eat nearly all of it but was glad he was so considerate. Having finished her meal and feeling unsure of what else to do, she decided to curl up under the covers until he came out.

The young dragon slayer waited to turn off the shower until he heard Lucy's breathing even out as she fell asleep. It hadn't been hard to hear her, even with the water on. He had thoroughly enjoyed a hot shower but got out after it turned cold, only leaving the water running as a diversion. The young teen had considered leaving the bathroom then, but it would be really weird to hang out with a girl while he only wore a robe

After putting his dirty clothes out to be cleaned, Ryos climbed into the first bed he would be sleeping in since leaving the orphanage over a month ago. That wasn't a place he could stay in. Every orphanage he'd gone to was the same, essentially a prison for homeless children. The director was never as he or she appeared to be when potential parents came to see the children. Once outsiders were gone, the director would become a heartless tyrant, abusing children in every way conceivable. There was never enough food to eat properly or enough space for them to live comfortably. Ryos only stayed in those places when it was too cold to sleep outside, and would then escape to a new town where he'd lay low until it was time to meet up with his mentor again. It had been this way since losing Skiadrum years ago and would likely stay this way until he was strong enough to join Phantom Lord.

Morning found the two eating the last of Lucy's apples in silence. The Celestial Mage wasn't ready to leave her newfound friend behind just yet, which confused her. She didn't really understand the attachment. Assuming it was caused by the lack of socialization in her life, the blonde ignored her uncertainty in favor of deciding how to ask him if he wanted to stick with her for awhile.

Unbeknownst to her, Ryos was having a similar internal debate. He didn't understand why he felt so at home with the older girl. It wasn't as if he knew much more about her than any other friendly stranger he'd met. Regardless, the dragon slayer wasn't ready to part with the only person who had made him feel welcome since he lost his father, but he wasn't sure how to ask her if he could stay until the next time he met with his mentor.

"Do you want – "

"Would it be ok if-"

Both teens froze when they heard the other speaking at the same time then started laughing, though Ryos' was more of a quiet chuckle, realizing they had both been thinking on the same thing. Lucy's smile stayed in place when their laughter died down and the pair agreed to work together until they had to part ways.

Weeks passed quickly as April ended and May slipped by. The young mages took job requests together, falling into a rhythm that worked well. There was an unnatural balance between the two, as if they were made to be partners. Since neither was highly trained, they couldn't take on any high paying jobs but were able to make enough money to move from inn to inn as needed and stay fed. Doing simple jobs like cleaning out libraries and chasing down the same flock of pigeons two more times wasn't very glamorous work for mages, but that was ok with the teens. It was a vast improvement for Ryos and welcome change for Lucy. The stuffy life of high society was never what the blonde was meant for. This was the life she had dreamt of; well, for the most part. Eventually, she would plant roots in a city with a guild she could join where she'd get an apartment and build her life.

Although she knew it was a long shot, she held out hope Ryos would come along. It was hard for the Celestial Mage to imagine life without the young slayer after spending so much time together. The fact that the dark haired teen had a crush on her was obvious with his lingering staring and blushing if they touched, but she ignored it. There were no romantic feelings on her part, though she cared deeply for him and would miss him greatly when they parted soon.

He was determined to become a mage of Phantom Lord, even knowing it was a dark guild. His mentor was there, who Ryos clearly idolized, and planned to follow in the nameless man's footsteps. Lucy had asked once about his mentor's identity but dropped the subject entirely when Ryos clammed up. The blonde assumed the man must also be a dragon slayer since she'd learned her friend was a dragon slayer, but didn't know anything beyond what she'd deduced. If the teen's reaction was anything to go by, his mentor had taught Ryos a very memorable lesson in keeping the man's name from passing between his lips.

When the middle of June came around, the now close friends knew it was time to say goodbye. Lucy had heard Salamander of Fairy Tail would be passing through a nearby port town soon and she needed to leave to be there to search for him. Hopefully, the Salamander would be able to take her to his guild.

Ryos also couldn't stay any longer. His mentor should have returned from a long term mission a couple of weeks ago and would be expecting his mentee to come around. If the teen wanted to continue in his apprenticeship, he'd have to leave Lucy.

Saying their farewells to one another, Lucy hugged Ryos close, lingering long enough to notice he had grown in the short time they'd been together. He was no longer shorter than her but now about the same height. She just knew he'd grow into a handsome heartthrob and looked forward to teasing him next time she saw him. The beautiful blonde kissed his cheek, leaving the boy blushing as red as his ruby colored eyes as she walked away laughing. Ryos watched her leave looking forward to the next time he'd see the girl that had stolen his heart. He had no way of knowing that wouldn't happen until many years had passed filled with unfathomable heartache.


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: So glad to see the first chapter of this story got so much attention! Don't get too excited that I updated so quickly - it isn't a pace I can keep up with. It's just that work is slow this week and I already had most of this planned and partially written. This is unedited, so please expect and ignore errors.**

 **There is a pretty big chunk of time breezed over in this chapter, so hopefully it makes sense. Let me know if it doesn't? This should set things up for the next chapter.**

After the last kick connected with her ribs, Lucy's body stopped responding. Her tormentor kept beating her body but her mind began to slip and the last few months flashed quickly through the tortured woman's mind. She remembered the fun she had since joining the guild and the wild missions they'd been on. Being part of the Fairy Tail guild was everything she'd hoped for and more. Not only did she find friends and a place to belong, she also found the beginnings of her own strength. It wasn't much, but with each dangerous mission she grew.

The most vivid memories, though, were of a red-eyed teenager that stole a small piece of her heart. In these last moments before death, she found a clarity she hadn't known while distracted by life. Thoughts of the time they spent together doing simple jobs swirled through her pain-stricken mind. What had only been a few weeks had felt like so much more. Somehow, they had developed a deep connection that didn't make sense to the young woman. He was a few years younger, but it didn't really seem that way. The two of them often seemed unified, as if two parts of a whole. She knew now that she loved Ryos. It wasn't in a romantic way, but maybe it would have been if they'd had the chance to get closer as they got older. He had etched a place in her soul that would have forever been his.

As the man torturing her lifted her limp body off the ground with his iron-like hands wrapped around her throat, she looked into his eyes for the first time. A distant part of her brain registered that the pain was making her hallucinate, but she found herself grateful to spend her last moments looking into eyes so similar to those of the boy she would never see again. This man reminded her of Ryos in so many ways, yet was so different. Since she'd been kidnapped, this man had taken pleasure in torturing her relentlessly, using the metallic rod protruding from his arm to beat her body and kicking her back down every time she tried to stand.

But now, looking into those eyes, she couldn't think of anything so painful. The familiarity was comforting. In her delirious state of mind, she was seeing the shy, sweet, kind hearted dragon slayer. With the last bit of strength left in her body, she reached up to touch the cheek of the face she'd never see again, whispering, "Ryos."

When Gajeel heard the blonde whisper the runt's name, he dropped her semi-conscious body like it was made of acid. Immediately, everything shifted into place. He understood why the boy was so late returning for their training session a couple months ago and his unwillingness to join in on this job. It would have been his first step to being accepted into the guild and Gajeel expected the kid to be excited, but the little shit turned the offer down. Now it all made sense. The boy had found himself a little girlfriend, a hot one at that, and didn't have what it took to go through what had to be done.

The Iron Dragon Slayer could see the appeal, though. The chick had the biggest tits Gajeel had ever seen and a nice ass, too. Even her face wasn't bad. Well, it hadn't been before he got started on her.

Leaning a little closer to the beaten girl, Gajeel took in her scent. He could smell Salamander all over her but could tell the idiot hadn't gotten into her pants. Not surprising. He probably had trouble getting into his own pants. Beneath the stench, though, was the dark, almost dusty scent of shadows that Ryos always carried.

Gajeel was pissed at the kid but he wouldn't kill what was his.

With Porlyusica's help, it had taken about a week for Lucy to heal after she was rescued by her team. They gave her some time to heal mentally before taking another job, but only after the old witch demanded they leave her in peace. What no one expected, though, was for the Celestial Mage to disappear as soon as they left her alone. She was struggling to deal with the darkness growing steadily inside her. Her time spent with the man she now knew as Gajeel, the Iron Dragon Slayer, only worsened the issue. Lucy had to find the one person that seemed to bring peace to her.

It was a quick train ride and short walk to make it back the town where she'd met Ryos. Although it was a long shot, the blonde hoped to find him or some sign of where he was before she had to return to the guild. Knowing her team, she only had a day, maybe two if luck was on her side, before they came searching for her.

The younger teen obviously wouldn't be at the Phantom Lord guild since they'd been disbanded by the Council, and she wasn't about to go looking for his mentor to ask questions. Once she had time to piece things together, she figured out the identity of the man Ryos refused to name and understood his reluctance to speak of the man. The physical similarities between the two were enough to make Lucy wonder if they were blood-relatives. That would be unfortunate.

Her first stop was the bench where Ryos had tried to steal her pack so many months ago. A small smile graced her lips as the young woman let the memory play through. It seemed like a lifetime had passed since then. She had been so carefree, with her greatest concern being where she could pick up another job and how to get into Fairy Tail. Now she was damaged, battered, and afraid of what would happen if the shadows in her mind took control.

 _We'd take care of you, make you stronger. No one would ever be able to hurt you again._

With her fists balled and eyes squeezed shut, the blonde took deep breaths to gain control of her mind. This couldn't happen right now. She had to find Ryos.

After walking around town, Lucy stopped by the inn they'd stayed at to ask the owner. The elderly man was fond of Ryos, telling him stories every time he had the chance. The young teen would patiently listen, nodding every so often to keep the old man talking. The blonde wasn't sure, but she figured the older man thought of Ryos a surrogate grandson. When the door chime rang as she entered, the owner looked up with his expression going from bored to excited.

"Lucy!" He shouted as he came around to give the blonde a hug. The simple gesture made the young woman smile, the warm feeling pressing the darkness back further in her mind. "It's good to see you! Are you in town for the night or just stopping by? That friend of yours came by a few days ago looking for you."

With a gasp, Lucy asked, "He did? Is he still here?"

A small frown tugged at the man's lips, not wanting to give the pretty girl bad news. "Sorry to tell you, but he's not. He didn't even stay long enough to talk. I offered him a room for the night free of charge, I know that boy doesn't take care of himself with the way he lives, but he just took off. Sure seemed like something was bothering him."

The disappointment settled in hard, making Lucy's mental struggle return full force. She accepted the man's offer to stay for a night on the house and escaped to her room as quickly as possible without being rude. With no way to track Ryos down, there wasn't anything else she could do for now.

Needing comfort and a familiar face, the Celestial Mage summoned Plue. The little spirit did his usual little dance but it didn't cheer up his owner. She didn't even offer him any candy. Sensing her heartache, Plue climbed into her lap, hugged his friend with as much strength as his stubby arms could muster and ignored the tears he could feel dripping onto his back as she embraced him.

The next day, Lucy didn't linger. If Ryos had been nearby, he would have picked up her scent and come to the inn. In case he came looking for her again, Lucy wrote a short letter letting Ryos know she was alright after everything that had happened and she hoped to see him soon. The details were vague, but she was sure he would understand what she meant. Her abductor had been his mentor, so Ryos likely knew something about what happened. She refused to believe her friend had any part in it, though. There was no way he could ever do something like what Gajeel had done to her.

After saying goodbye to the inn's owner and leaving her letter in his keeping, Lucy started her journey out of town and onto the Heartfilia estate. She had to go home to put a stop to the mess her father created, plus it would make a great cover story for why she left Magnolia.

The weeks flew by quickly after that. Crisis after crisis kept Lucy from dwelling too much on the fact that she hadn't heard from Ryos. With some skill and a lot of luck, the blonde mage had survived Team Natsu's disaster of a vacation that led to their battle at the Tower of Heaven. Erza's heavy losses and emotional baggage from that whole debacle made it easier for Lucy to hide her own turmoil. Each day was becoming more challenging, though, and the blonde knew something would have to change soon.

That change came in a shocking form she didn't know how to deal with.

After returning from the Tower of Heaven, Team Natsu made its way into the newly restored guildhall in their usual, boisterous glory, admiring the new changes and greeting old friends. Lucy was even excited to see Juvia had successfully joined the guild, even if the other woman was slightly crazy.

All the warm feelings of being home fled as soon as the tormented blonde locked eyes with Gajeel. For an eternal moment, everything stopped for Lucy. She couldn't remember how to breathe, how to make her heart beat, how to make her legs stop shaking and turn her body around to run away from the man who had nearly murdered her only a few short weeks ago. But then the young woman noticed something – the darkness in her mind had fully receded. Fear of her tormentor was still present, along with the anger that Master Makarov had allowed him into the guild, but even those strong emotions weren't fueling the shadows in her mind. It was the first moment of peace she'd known since leaving Ryos.

In the next moment, Lucy realized the devil in front of her could also be her savior. Temporarily. There was no way she would subject herself to a long-term friendship with someone like Gajeel. She could forgive him for what he'd done to her but doubted she could ever be comfortable enough to get to accept him as a friend. As Natsu and Gajeel argued foolishly, the emotionally and mentally battered woman resigned herself to seeking out the Iron Dragon Slayer's company on a regular basis.

Lucy tugged on her top one more time, adjusting her breasts to get the perfect amount of cleavage as she prepared to go on stage. The competition had been fierce during their beauty pageant, but she was feeling confident in the cheerleader costume she'd chosen. Maybe she could win some consolation prize money? Anything would help to pay her rent.

The whispers in her mind were quiet, a sure sign that Gajeel was nearby. The sexy outfitted blonde had been worried about having to fight a mental battle on stage while trying to look cute, but that problem had been solved for her.

It was becoming uncomfortably normal for Lucy to spend time around her former tormentor. Not that they hung out. More like she found ways to be near him without speaking to him often enough to keep the darkness at bay. And if she wasn't wrong, the young woman had a hunch he was doing the same. Why would he feel the need to be around her, though?

Shaking off the distracting thoughts, the blonde stepped on stage with a smile so bright it could blind the Celestial Spirit King. Ignoring the stare of the Iron Dragon Slayer, she was ready to begin her routine, only to be turned to stone by crazy Evergreen. The now solid stone Celestial Mage was unable to break free while everyone fled the area except Master, Natsu, Gajeel and all the other women-turned-stone-statues. Although the young woman couldn't look around to confirm her suspicions, she couldn't shake the feeling that Gajeel was watching her.

This went on regularly after the Battle of Fairy Tail ended. A day didn't go by that the Celestial Mage wasn't in the near company of the Iron Dragon Slayer. Oddly, they rarely spoke to one another, though both were polite when they did. He was simply always near her, whether or not she wanted him to be. The blonde couldn't seem to get away from him. She had tried slipping out of Magnolia one day to return to the inn where she might find news of Ryos, but had turned back after seeing Gajeel at the train station.

The silence in her mind was refreshing, so she wasn't really complaining about the unwanted company. Lucy did her best not to dwell on thoughts of why and simply enjoyed the peace. The lack of interference from the dark passenger in her mind allowed the blonde to think on things like missing Ryos, feeling angry with her father, pondering a shallow friendship with Gajeel, or even just dealing with Natsu on a daily basis. For the first time in her life, the blonde was able to just _feel._ It was liberating, yet terrifying. What if she never found Ryos and was forced to spend her entire life stalking or being stalked by Gajeel?

Would it be so bad?

The bad thing about feelings was that allowing herself to have them meant she was feeling things she wished she didn't. When the iron slayer wasn't around, Lucy wondered where he was. When he was around, Levy was often nearby as well, which meant the blonde was forced to watch the two dance around their blossoming romance. It was annoying at times. Was this jealousy she was feeling? The young woman was in no way interested in a relationship with Gajeel, but if he and Levy became serious, would she lose the convenient buffer she had found?

Those thoughts were terrible of her to have, not to mention completely out of character, and she was well aware of that fact. But she couldn't stop them. When she managed to escape the slayer, whether it was on a job with her team or simply at her apartment while he was wherever he went off to, the darkness would seep back in. At first, it was only a trickle that she could manage, but eventually, the weight became so overbearing that she wasn't sure how to be alone anymore. Something had changed when she and Ryos parted ways months ago that made this curse harder to fight. Whatever that something was, Lucy needed to figure it out and do it fast or she might lose her mind. Or accept everything the darkness offered, consequences be damned, just to get it to shut up.

Regardless, she kept the problem to herself, hiding behind the smile and bright personality that her team and guildmates expected.

Minutes turned into hours and hours into days, days turned into weeks, and Lucy found herself stuck in the Infinity clock. Stuck as she was with no way of escape but to wait on her team, the blonde found herself thinking about her life again. Another whirlwind of insane battles had happened recently. Team Natsu had fought its way through crazed guilds looking to take over the world and even battled forces in a parallel universe. Life was pretty great, slightly insane, but still great. Even with her stalker of a dragon slayer. There was one thing nagging at the blonde. She still hadn't heard a word from or about Ryos.

She was beginning to lose hope of finding him before she was killed by some lunatic. Like the one taunting her now. Cobra had been left on guard duty and seemed to be thoroughly enjoying the rattled state of Lucy's mind. "You're looking a little crazier than the last time we met. Having a little trouble, Mega Tits?"

Lucy did her best to ignore the stupid slayer, only narrowing her eyes at him in response. She was already struggling enough without him antagonizing her. It only infuriated her more that he could see through her false, happy exterior into the dark recesses of her tormented soul.

The further her mind descended into this madness, the more desperate she became to find a solution. Though it wasn't the most ideal, the blonde had found a way to keep the darkness in check without sticking to the Iron Dragon Slayer's side. She'd stolen a piece of Gajeel's iron he'd shaped into a gift for Levy- she felt like such a terrible person but it couldn't be helped- charged with enough of his magic that it was constantly warm. The little writing pen seemed to keep things under control. Unfortunately for Lucy, but to Cobra's great enjoyment, it had been lost in her abduction.

"You're so fucked. You might even be crazier than me." Cobra laughed as he walked closer to Lucy, leaning in close enough to make her uncomfortable. "I know exactly what's wrong with you. I even know how to fix it."

"You do?!" A sliver of hope shone through Lucy's darkness and she couldn't keep the anticipation out of her voice. "What is it? How do I fix it?"

"Not telling." He said mockingly and began to walk away, but turned back to leer at Lucy as he said, "Well, I might tell you if you let me be the one to pop your sweet little cherry."

"Asshole"

Things went the way they always do with Team Natsu. Lucy was rescued at the last minute, their team saved the day, and they were onto the next great catastrophe. Tenrou Island.

The blonde had been glad to see Levy with an iron pen identical to the one she'd stolen, meaning Gajeel had made her another one and likely knew exactly what happened to the first. As per usual with their friendship that wasn't a friendship at all, he didn't ask about it and she never brought it up.

At least on the island, Gajeel was near enough for Lucy to stay clear headed, even if they weren't actually next to each other. Not that it mattered in the end. With another dark guild defeated but a dragon staring her in the face, the Celestial Mage accepted her fate. She'd die without ever solving the mystery of her dark passenger and never get to see Ryos again.

XXXX

He waited for her. He sat on their bench, the place they'd met so long ago, and he waited.

The first time he came to the town to search for her and found the note she'd left with the innkeeper, he'd been ecstatic. At the time, he truly believed he'd see his beautiful friend again.

Before he understood who she was to him, he thought his feeling were irrational. He had just turned 13 when they met, so he expected his crush on the blonde to fade. Instead, his dragon had waited impatiently for Rogue to reunite with the Celestial Mage, urging the teen to search for her. When he found the abandoned newspaper with the story saying she had disappeared with the other Fairy Tail mages, his dragon raged uncontrollably. A large section of the forest he'd been living in had been destroyed in his grief.

The slayer didn't give up hope, though. For two years he waited for her, telling himself she'd be back. He found Sting, joined Sabertooth, and tried to keep living his life until she came back. Rogue believed she wasn't dead. It was just a matter of time until she reappeared. He would go to the guild to keep up appearances, go on missions, and then come to their bench and wait. Each time he came and there was no sign of her scent, his heart would chip a little more. The despair he felt grew as time went on with no signs of her. Even his shadows were becoming harder to control. Fueled by his grief, his magic would become volatile, causing the shadows to lash out at people around him. Only Sting's light could keep Rogue's darkness in check now.

His twin dragon slayer had asked about the mystery girl from Rogue's past many times but Rogue refused to give any details. The time he spent with Lucy was his alone to cherish. He wouldn't be sharing any of that with anyone but her. She was the first person to care for him without expectation and the first person he had cared for in return. Truthfully, she was the only person he had loved. Rogue cared for Sting like a brother, but it was different. Theirs was a fondness based on rivalry and camaraderie. It didn't fill the gap left behind by her disappearance.

When the Magic Council announced their refusal to allow anymore mages to search for the missing members of Fairy Tail, Rogue lost control of his dragon again. Most of he and Sting's shared home was destroyed that day. When the destruction settled and his mind cleared slightly, the slayer understood why his inner dragon had been so distraught, but the realization only caused his pain to run deeper.

Nothing was the same for Rogue after that. He gave up on everything he hoped for, even gave up his name. The Ryos known to Lucy was gone, anyway. His heart was hardened, as dark and uncaring as the shadows inside his mind.

Today would be his last day waiting. He'd come to accept the truth and say his final goodbye. Lucy wasn't coming back. He would leave this bench and never return to it or the memories of a time long gone. She had been killed and he hadn't been there to protect her. Her partner, the one she'd chosen over him, that pathetic excuse for a dragon slayer, had failed to keep her safe. Now she was dead and Rogue would go the rest of his life grieving the loss of a mate he never truly had.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 is here! I couldn't stop myself from getting this out today. The story actually kept me awake last night, begging to be written. This chapter was hard to write - westerngoddess, you might cry again - but I promise it will all be worth it! This chapter is unedited, so please expect and excuse errors.**

When they all returned from Tenrou Island, Lucy spent a lot of time thinking and even snuck off to look for Ryos once. Since so much time had passed after their disappearance, the blonde really had no idea where to look. She settled for just going back to their bench, which hadn't changed much other than becoming more weathered looking, and sat there wondering what to do next.

The blonde had an epiphany while sitting on that bench that was so obvious she wasn't sure why it had never occurred to her before, though it was likely because she spent so much of her time trying to save the world or fighting for her life. In that moment, she realized exactly who she was to Ryos. If she was right, she had to find him and soon. Surprisingly, the idea didn't bother her as much as maybe it should have. It actually excited her. During the years she was gone, he would have grown and their age difference would have reversed, making things less strange.

The only problem was she had no idea where to find Ryos or how to let him know she was back. What if he had moved on to find someone else or forgotten her entirely? Either idea was heartbreaking and made the voices in her mind buzz almost audibly. The young woman had to find a way to deal with the mess in her head, which was actually starting to make sense now, before she could start her search.

One day while relaxing in the bath, Lucy had a brilliant idea on how to manage herself until she found Ryos, but first had to build up the courage to do it. Her plan required talking to Gajeel. Even with all the time she spent around the Iron Dragon Slayer, she had never been able to explain herself or ask him for help. Really, the two barely spoke. The blonde was tired of hiding and tired of fighting a losing battle. Today she would take a step towards changing things.

On her way to the guild, the blonde summoned Plue and walked along the canal, as usual. No matter how overwhelmed she became with the darkness oppressing her, Lucy did her best to maintain her positive outlook and upbeat personality. A bit of normalcy went a long way towards helping keep her head on straight and mind out of the fog.

When the Celestial Mage made it to the guild hall, she immediately spotted her target sitting alone in a back corner but she lost a good bit of her resolve. How was she going to find the words to explain what was wrong with her when she didn't even fully understand it herself? Shaking her head to get rid of the negative thoughts, Lucy took a deep breath and marched over to Gajeel's table. Once she was seated, the worried young woman wasn't sure how to start the conversation. At least she didn't have to worry about prying him away from Levy. The Script Mage must be out with her team.

Gajeel eyed the girl next to him, doing his best not to notice how perfect her tits looked practically spilling out of her shirt, and wondering why she sat next to him. Sure, he'd noticed she followed him around and had a pretty good idea why, but she never did it so openly or without Shrimp around as an excuse to be near him. Deciding to just go with the flow, the slayer turned his attention back to his meal and continued munching on bits of metal.

In the peaceful atmosphere – well, maybe not peaceful, but at least not full of whispering voices in her head-next to Gajeel, Lucy was able to give herself a little pep talk while she watched the few members left in their guild move about the small dining hall. When the pile of metal had been eaten, she looked at the man she occasionally stalked, who also sometimes stalked her, and said, "I need your help but I don't know what's wrong with me or how you can fix it."

Taken back by her boldness, Gajeel wasn't sure of what to say. So he just grunted. It wasn't like he had much practice talking to the girl. They just always hung around each other to keep her silent monsters at bay.

Assuming the throaty noise he made meant she should continue, Lucy looked around to make sure no one was paying attention and leaned a little closer to explain quietly. "There's always been this darkness, kind of like a shadow, that lingers in my mind. I know I sound crazy, but I swear I'm not! It's just always been there and I've always dealt with it on my own. Then, about a year ago, or seven depending on who you ask, I lost a friend. Since then, I've had trouble controlling it. The darkness gained a voice and I don't know how to make it stop."

Peeking at the slayer next to her, she was glad to see she had his full attention, even if he looked a little shocked. Taking a deep breath before saying the next part, the worst part in her opinion, she closed her eyes and finally finished. "And the weirdest part is that it all stops when I'm near you. I don't know why, but I want it to stop permanently, though being attached to your hip wouldn't be ideal."

A snort escaped him before he could stop it. Yeah, being attached to the sexy thing next to him definitely wouldn't be ideal. The Iron Dragon Slayer's self control was already being tested regularly because of her.

"I can help. Giving you another piece of my iron should take care of your little problem, at least for a little while. You need to figure your shit out soon, though."

Embarrassed to have been caught, the blonde blushed as she asked, "You knew about that?"

"How could I not? You were carrying around a piece of my metal charged with enough magic to be a tracking device. That was purpose for it when I gave it to Shrimp, but I figured you had a reason for taking it, so left you alone about it."

Ashamed at the reminder of her thievery, Lucy whispered a quiet thanks as she watched Gajeel form another trinket. She really hadn't expected anything nice, just a little lump of his metal would work. What he created was far from just a lump of metal. This piece one was clearly designed with her in mind. He formed it into a key, about the size of her summoning keys, with a star in the handle that had a small hole to use for adding it to her key ring. It was simple but beautiful, and could easily be hidden in plain sight. The kindness and thought put into the gift made the Celestial Mage blush again as he placed it in her hand, though this blush was for an entirely different reason. The key was warm from the amount of magic inside, just like last time.

"I'm not sure how to thank you for this."

Gajeel shrugged, hoping he still looked nonchalant. Watching Lucy stroke a piece of his iron with a look of reverence on her face was doing strange things to him. He definitely needed to stay away from her for awhile after this. The girl needed to mate with her dragon, or at least a dragon that could complement her, and soon or she'd be in serious trouble. He noticed what was happening to her shortly after joining the guild but didn't know how to break the news to her. The chick clearly had no idea what was going on. How the hell was he supposed to tell her she had unintentionally started bonding with a dragon's soul?

His own intended mate was in denial about her feelings and barely confident enough to speak to him, so there wasn't much of a bond established. That didn't stop Gajeel from wanting her, though, especially when he could smell exactly how much she wanted him too. The feisty little fire cracker made his blood rush and her script magic turned him on almost as much as her sharp mind. He wanted to take her as soon as possible but Levy was too unsure of herself, always denying her attraction to him and shying away from his advances.

The slow progress made being around Lucy even harder. She was confident in who she was, plus ready and willing, even if she didn't realize it herself, to become mated to a dragon slayer. Gajeel's own dragon had been pressing him to find a mate for awhile and, since his human side was now on board with the idea, the dragon amped up the pressure on him. He could take Lucy for his own, which would solve her problem, and he'd still have a mate he could be satisfied with. Even if it wasn't ideal, she definitely wasn't his Shrimp, their reactions to one another were a sign of how compatible they were. Too bad Salamander's dragon didn't seem to want her. It would have been easy to push him into mating with a chick he spent so much time with.

Lucy must have assumed the conversation was over while Gajeel was lost in his thoughts because she got up and walked away. The frustrated dragon slayer couldn't help but stare at her go with the way her ass swayed so perfectly as she glided across the room. He could do some things to that girl that would rock her world and leave her begging for more. Maybe giving up on Shrimp wouldn't be so bad if this was his other option.

XX

The city of Crocus was more beautiful than Lucy remembered from her visits as a child. Not only were the endless flowers amazing, there was also beauty in the city itself. The buildings were tall and well kept surrounding a majestic castle. The streets were full of tourists attracted by the sights and delicious smells wafting through the air from food stalls. People were bustling about, excited for the start of the Grand Magic Games.

Lucy couldn't believe she'd been chosen by Master Makaraov to participate in the games, but she wasn't complaining. It would be an amazing new experience, plus she could show off how strong she'd gotten. It would be a chance to prove to everyone she wasn't just a damsel in distress that needed constant rescuing.

Shouting and the unmistakable sounds of a fight drew Natsu like a moth to flame. The Celestial Mage's shout of protest went unheard, or more likely ignored, by the dragon slayer as he took off through the crowd in search of the action. When Lucy caught up to her partner, she was frozen in place by the sight of two males about the same age as she and Natsu standing in the middle of a group of fallen men.

The young woman hardly noticed anything about the blonde guy, too distracted by the dark haired one. He looked so familiar, but she couldn't place him. The dark, shaggy hair gave her an uncomfortable feeling of dejavu but he still hadn't turned towards them, so she couldn't get a good look at him. With that long hair shadowing his face, she couldn't even make out any of his features.

Natsu's argument with the blonde one drew her attention as the guy talked down to Natsu for not killing Acnologia.

"You'd be telling a different story if you were there!" Lucy angrily defended her partner and best friend. She had no doubts about Natsu's skill but none of them had stood a chance. "No one could have defeated that monster, dragon slayer or not."

The sound of Lucy's voice seemed to draw the dark haired slayer into the conversation. "It doesn't matter if we were there or not."

As soon as he turned to speak, the air fled Lucy's lungs and she felt like Gray had frozen her in place. That face, that voice, even the way he stood screamed Ryos, just a more matured version. The blonde ignored the rest of the conversation in favor of staring into the red eyes she'd dreamed about for so long. He seemed just as enraptured by her for a moment, until he looked away from her as Natsu spoke. "Did you guys' dragons disappear in year 777, too?"

The Ryos look alike answered in a monotone voice, "Our dragons died. The creatures that gave their magic to us were eliminated by our own hands so we could become true Dragon Slayers."

Disbelief wormed its way into Lucy's mind. This couldn't be her Ryos. He wasn't a killer. "That can't be true."

The rest of the shouting between Natsu and the pair was lost to the blonde, her mind too wrapped up in the possibilities. When the Sabertooth mages turned to walk away, Lucy heart felt like it was being ripped from her body and couldn't stop the murmured plea that escaped her, "Ryos."

His name was whispered quietly but it was loud enough for all three slayers. Rogue kept walking as if he didn't hear her calling to him but Sting turned to look inquisitively between Lucy and his brother.

Clueless as always, Natsu said, "What'd ya say, Luce?"

Shaking her head to break the spell she'd been under, Lucy grabbed Natsu's arm and pulled him away through the crowd saying, "Nothing. Let's get back to the inn before Erza figures out how late we are."

The ever increasing pain in her chest lasted throughout the preliminary round and into the introductions. If it hadn't been for Gajeel's key, she probably wouldn't have made it with her sanity intact. The Celestial Mage had hidden the key against her skin to avoid anyone noticing a non-celestial key on her ring. Usually it didn't matter, but they were all under close scrutiny at the GMG.

Their team had barely made it through the trial and wasn't receiving a very warm welcome by the crowd. The booing was disheartening but the Fairy Tail mages kept their heads held high, determined to come out on top. As the other teams were introduced, the noise level from the crowd increased. The blonde was shocked to see Fairy Tail Team B on the field, and even more shocked by the way Gajeel entered the arena with his eyes locked on her. The small smirk he sent her made her heart flutter in a way it hadn't in a very long time.

When Sabertooth entered the arena, there was no mistaking who the crowd favorite was. They all walked with an air of cocky confidence that only irritated the Celestial Mage. How could they be so full of themselves? Her team was one of the most powerful in Fairy Tail and none of them acted like that.

The tension between the participating guilds was thick enough to cut with a knife. It wasn't helped by Rogue glaring at Gajeel. "There a reason you keep gawkin, pretty boy?"

A second passed before Rogue answered and Lucy couldn't help but feel somehow involved. "Nothing important."

Rejection pierced the blonde's heart like an arrow and she could barely stop herself from crying. As much as she wanted to deny it, she was certain Rogue was actually her Ryos. So, why was he treating her this way? She had been so certain there would be something between them when she found him. It felt like destiny. Maybe he didn't feel it?

The iron key warmed against her skin as if its maker had somehow sent a pulse of magic to it. Grateful for the distraction from her darkening thoughts, Lucy shot him a quick glance hoping he understood her appreciation. She was sure she would have been lost without the Iron Dragon Slayer looking out for her from the shadows.

When it was finally Lucy's turn to step into the arena to fight, she was equal parts nervous and excited. The Celestial Mage didn't have any knowledge of her opponent's abilities but she was confident in her own. She knew she would do well in this round and possibly even win.

Rogue watched as Lucy's fight began with his emotions hidden behind a mask of indifference. He knew Sting was watching him closely after their encounter yesterday and had no intention of giving anything away. Watching the blonde made it a struggle, though. She'd gotten so much stronger since the time they'd spent together. It was amazing when he considered it had been achieved in only about a year's worth of training for her. A year that felt like an eternity to him. The reminder of the years lost brought his anger back in full force, making it easier to rein in the longing that had sprouted in his chest.

The Shadow Dragon Slayer watched her match progress, noticing the moment the red head was about to lose but resorted to cheating. He even saw Natsu racing across the stadium to save the little girl threatened by the lunatic; at least he wasn't a completely useless partner. Rogue may have lost much of himself over the years, but he would never stoop so low as to harm a child.

Though it was painful to watch Lucy allowing herself to be brutalized, Rogue was impressed by her tenacity as she allowed her body to be destroyed to buy enough time for Natsu to rescue the child. His dragon stirred forcefully when Lucy summoned a spirit that turned into a replica of her clad in only a towel, causing lust to cloud his mind for a moment. Looking across the area to see Gajeel openly eyeing the blonde didn't help his self control and only added to his inner dragon's fight. After smelling Gajeel's scent so strongly on Lucy, he had suspected his former mentor wanted to take her as his own, but now Rogue was sure of it. The thought of his mate being taken by another made his shadows stir restlessly.

"You alright, man?" Sting asked landing a heavy hand on Rogue's shoulder. The surprise was enough to bring Rogue back down, which was exactly what Sting knew he needed.

Shrugging off Sting's hand, Rogue growled, "I'm fine."

Lucy was pissed and the darkness in her mind was taking advantage. This evil bitch had threatened to kill Asca just to win a competition. She needed to pay. Not even the burn of the iron key against her skin or Rogue's nearness could calm the angry blonde. When she and Gemini began the chant for Uranometria, Lucy poured every ounce of magic she had left into the spell. Her doppelganger automatically matched her magical output, creating the most power spell Lucy had ever managed. Once the blast hit the evil bitch, she'd get what she deserved.

When the Celestial Mage's magic was cancelled entirely, she collapsed to the ground in a disoriented heap. She had been drained so fully that even the darkness receded in her mind. Lucy lay in the dirt trying to regain her senses and force her body upright. Her legs were too weak to support her weight, though, and buckled when she tried to stand. Only Natsu's appearance at her side saved her from hitting the hard ground again.

"Come on, Luce. Let's get you cleaned up." Her best friend in the world, the only one who stood by her side through every hardship, scooped her up and carried her off the field, ignoring the way she sobbed against his chest.

Rogue burned with possessiveness as he watched Natsu carry Lucy out of the arena. He didn't care to watch the next fight, even if it was a guildmate's round, and stood to leave.

"He's pretty awesome," Sting said in reference to Orga's upcoming match, "you not going to watch?"

"I couldn't care less." He was more concerned about making sure yet another dragon slayer wasn't trying to steal what belonged to him. Slipping into shadow form made catching up with the two easy enough. Rogue made it to the balcony of their team's shared room just as Natsu was laying Lucy down on a bed.

Hiding in the shadows, Rogue watched the other slayer closely for any signs of inappropriate behavior but found none. Natsu handled Lucy with a tenderness born of love, but the relationship between the two seemed completely platonic on both sides. The shadow slayer wasn't sure how he felt about the relief that swept through him with this realization.

Natsu left the room, but not before smoothing Lucy's hair back from her face and placing his forehead against hers, a gesture that angered Rogue regardless of the lack of intimacy. When the fire slayer was far enough away, Rogue slipped into the room through the shadows and watched Lucy as she moved into the bathroom. He respected her privacy, even though he could have easily slipped under the door, and settled to simply take in her scent while listening to her.

Lucy turned on the water but didn't rush to get into the shower. She just sat on the floor with her chin on her knees and arms hugging her legs while her emotions ran rampant. Disappointment weighed heavily in her mind for the way her match went, it didn't matter that most of it was out of her control. No one in the crowd knew what happened. They all assumed she just didn't have the strength to follow through with her attack. She heard the announcers when they said she may have lost control of the spell.

Most of her turmoil came from her unexpected reunion with Ryos, though. He had changed so much, and not just physically. Of course, she noticed how devastatingly handsome he'd become. He was more gorgeous than she had imagined. But he wasn't the same anymore. For so long she'd dreamed of their reunion, but it wasn't possible. The kind hearted younger teen she'd known was gone. This cold, distant man – Was he a man? Technically, he was now, wasn't he? She'd missed so much. – wasn't the friend she'd lost for so long ago.

The tears came suddenly, forcing their way past her eyelids. Like a dam had broken, all the emotions she'd kept in check while too afraid to feel anything came out in a flood. With her inner darkness unusually quiet, Lucy curled up on the cool tile of the floor and let it all out, unable to contain her grief any longer.

Rogue hung his head, filled with guilt as he listened to the sobbing on the other side of the door. His dragon was fighting for control to go to their mate and comfort her, but the slayer wouldn't relent. He had put so much time and effort into learning to control his instincts so he could live through the grief of losing Lucy. He couldn't let himself go through that again. The way he was feeling now was proof of what he had come to believe. Lucy wasn't good for him. Just being near her for a day had his control slipping. If he wasn't careful, he might give in during a moment of weakness and lose all the ground he had gained in the past seven years.

Before he could do something he would regret, the Shadow Dragon Slayer slipped out the room to avoid dealing with a situation he didn't know how to handle.

Maybe she would be better off with Gajeel.

The first day of the Grand Magic Games came to a close with Fairy Tail doing what they were known for – getting drunk. It seemed like the entire guild had shown up in Crocus to show their support and had all crowded into the same bar.

Lucy's earlier emotional dumping had left her feeling raw but relieved, as if she just needed a chance to cry her eyes out while there was no danger of losing control of her mind. Now she was able to simply enjoy her night with her friends and maybe have a little too much to drink.

While Natsu and Gajeel were busy arguing like they always did, the blonde took the chance to admire the iron slayer while she nursed a beer. She hadn't noticed before, but he was kind of handsome, in a rugged sort of way. His lean yet muscular build had appeal, plus he was sweet beneath that harsh attitude.

As he returned to his seat, Gajeel noticed Lucy's stare and caught her eye, inviting her over with a nod. She accepted without hesitation and moved across the room to sit next to him at the bar. Emboldened by the alcohol, the young woman didn't hesitate to lean against his arm as she said, "Thanks for helping me today."

The dragon slayer knew the alcohol was getting to him when it took him much too long to register that she had spoken and peel his eyes away from her tits to respond. "Huh?"

"You know…" Lucy pressed her upper arms together, making her breasts bulge and cleavage become more pronounced. The motion wasn't lost on the inebriated man, drawing his gaze right back to where it had just been. It took him an embarrassing amount of time to realize what she was referring to.

"Oh, that." Gajeel was having a little trouble finding words at the moment when he realized his iron had been between her tits all day. He'd like to put another piece of his iron there. "Why ya keepin' it there? Not that I'm complaining."

"I bet you're not," Lucy giggled flirtatiously. "I didn't know where else to keep it so it wouldn't get lost. My outfit didn't have pockets and it's not like I could keep it on my key ring with people eyeing us so closely. Someone would know it isn't a celestial key and might ask questions."

Gajeel simply nodded in understanding. It made sense and was sexy as hell, even if that wasn't her intention. He waved down the bartender to order another shot, throwing it back as soon as it was dropped on the counter. There was something he'd wanted to ask her about all day, but he needed to be a little more drunk to handle that conversation. "Come outside with me for a second."

The catcalls, whistles, and Cana's shout of "Get some" were ignored by the pair as they walked outside. What neither of them noticed was a blue haired mage glaring at their backs as they went.

Lucy walked next to Gajeel until he stopped about a block away from the pub's entrance. After an awkward silence filled with the slayer shifting from foot to foot and running a hand through his hair, he finally asked, "How are you dealing with seeing him?"

Hearing that question seemed to sober Lucy's mind and the emotional progress she thought she'd made during her crying session disappeared as she considered her answer. Gajeel must have figured out Rogue was the friend Lucy had lost. But did he have an explanation for why she struggled the way she did? She had a hunch of her own but had never asked anyone. Deciding this was her best chance to get some answers, Lucy opened up to him.

"Not so great. When we first ran into each other, he acted like he didn't know who I was. He didn't even acknowledge me when all the teams met in the arena. I thought I had a handle on all this but seeing him and then being ignored by him seemed to make it worse." The broken hearted blonde couldn't hold back the tears that started slipping down her cheeks as she confessed the pain she'd been carrying around. "The voices are worse and the darkness seems to be getting stronger."

She heard Gajeel muttering what she assumed were profanities under his breath, only making 'the little shit.' When he composed himself, he asked, "You know why this is happenin?"

Lucy nodded, "I'm pretty sure I have it figured out. I spent a lot of time wondering why I'd gotten so attached to him during the short time we spent together." Her voice was a little quieter and sounded resigned as she finished, "We're mates, right?"

"Yeah. Your soul and his bonded during that time. It's the beginning of mating but he was too young for it to be completed. Now that his body is ready, his magic is drawing you in to force the mating to be completed. You can both fight it for awhile and it might pass eventually, but you'll both suffer until then."

The blonde sighed but nodded, having assumed as much. She figured the conversation was over but was shocked when he spoke again, though gruffly this time.

"This is hard to admit, so you better not go repeating it to anyone else, alright?" When she nodded, Gajeel looked away as he continued. "My intended mate doesn't want me either, so I'm right there with you." He paused for a moment to gather the courage to say the rest of it. "There's another way to deal with your problem. You'd have to mate with another dragon slayer and what you're dealing with would stop because you'd be bonded with a different dragon. My dragon is pushing hard for me to find a mate and I'm kinda into you. Ok, I'm really into you. But you gotta want it too."

Lucy's mouth dropped when it dawned on her what Gajeel was saying. Her expression was frozen that way for a second as she let the information process. Had he just proposed, kind of, in a Gajeel sort of way? She didn't know him well but knew enough to know he wasn't a romantic.

"You don't gotta look so disgusted by the idea. You coulda just said no."

"Wait! No! That's not what I was thinking at all. You just took me by surprise." The blonde stepped toward the iron slayer and hugged him. She didn't know how to express her gratitude in that moment but she wouldn't let him think he repulsed her. He'd helped her for so long without letting on that he was going through the same thing. "Thank you."

Gajeel snapped out of the stupor he'd fallen into when she hugged him and wrapped his arms around the petite blonde in return, enjoying the way she felt there. He wanted his Shrimp more than anything, but she had turned him down again just before they left for the games. It wouldn't be what he had hoped for, but life with Lucy wouldn't be so bad.

With her head still resting against his chest, Lucy said, "I need to think about it but we can talk more after the games are over." Stretching onto her toes, the blonde kissed his cheek before walking away.

It was nice to know she had someone there for her, but her heart was still aching over Rogue. She had only just figured out she was his mate and was looking forward to finding him again to see where things went. Now it didn't seem like that would ever happen. Finding out that he was also suffering but knowingly enduring it to avoid mating with her had stung. It didn't matter to her heart, though. Even after being so clearly rejected by him, she didn't think she could let him go so easily.


	4. Chapter 4

**So glad to see there are people still enjoying this story! Just an FYI because you'll probably be wondering - I'm leaving out the Future Rogue/Future Lucy/Eclipse Gate/Dragon Invasion stuff. I went back and forth a lot before making the decision and finally decided my story would flow better without those events. So, don't be confused when you realize none of that build up is happening. Thank you to everyone that has commented, favorited, and followed. Your support keeps me writing.**

 **Another unedited chapter, so please expect and excuse errors.**

Rogue wasn't sure how much longer he could hide in the shadows while he waited for the crowd of Fairy Tail members to leave the infirmary. It had taken every ounce of self control he'd learned not to attack Gajeel when he stopped in to ask how Lucy was doing. Realizing the iron slayer wanted Rogue's mate for his own was one thing, but watching Gajeel act on it was another.

He felt like every cell in his body was vibrating with the need to be close to his mate and touch her, just to make sure she was alive. Part of him, the darkness that whispered things in his mind, was telling him to leave because she shouldn't matter to him anymore, but Rogue couldn't do it. Watching her seemingly lifeless body fall from Minerva's grasp was much worse than the first time he'd lost her.

Only Sting's presence had kept Rogue from involuntarily activating his Dragon Force. The White Dragon Slayer noticed the black scale-like pattern forming along his partner's face and whispered, "What the hell are you doing?"

The Shadow Dragon Slayer ignored his partner, eyes narrowed as he glared at his one their guild's most ruthless members. Just before his Dragon Force fully took effect, Sting punched Rogue in the jaw. The shadow slayer was pissed when he regained his balance and turned to glare at his partner, but at least the scales had disappeared. It was a dangerous move on Sting's part, but a necessary one. He had to break Rogue out of his dark thoughts. If Rogue had lost control and attacked Minerva in the arena, the collateral damage would have been disastrous. They were both too powerful, especially if Rogue became out of his mind with rage. The arena probably wouldn't have withstood the damage and people in the audience would have been hurt, or worse.

Finally, Fairy Tail's healer left the infirmary, leaving Lucy alone. Rogue was hesitant to leave his shadows but as soon as the door closed, Lucy looked toward his shadow. He had seen her glance his way when he arrived but thought it was a coincidence since she hadn't looked again.

"I knew it was you, Ryos."

Stepping into the light, Rogue moved closer to the bed Lucy was lying on. "You can still see me in the shadows."

The same beautiful smile he remembered from so many years ago appeared on the blonde's face as she said, "Of course I can still see you."

A pregnant paused filled the room with neither of them sure of how to begin a conversation. Rogue finally took the last few steps to her bedside and knelt next to her. This close, the dragon slayer couldn't keep from reaching out and touching her, just a gentle caress of her cheek, to make sure she was real.

Lucy sighed and closed her eyes, leaning her face into his touch. "I'm glad to see you're doing well. I looked for you but wasn't sure where you ended up after Phantom Lord disbanded."

Rogue didn't know how to have this conversation. He wasn't much for talking and had never spoken to anyone about that time in his life. But this wasn't just anyone, this was Lucy. He pulled his hand away from her face, not missing the way her brows furrowed at the loss, and settled for placing his hand over hers. It was a safer place to touch her, less intimate. He couldn't bring himself to pull away from her entirely, though.

"I refused to be part of your abduction once I learned what the job request entailed. When they left on the mission, I left as well and eventually joined Saber." He purposely left out many events that happened before finding Sting. She didn't need to know any of that.

When she didn't respond, Rogue noticed the blonde seemed to be drifting off to sleep, not surprising with the amount of pain medication she'd been given. Just before he worked up the nerve to leave the room, Lucy turned towards him on her side and pulled his hand to her chest, cradling it. Drowsily she mumbled, "I'm so happy to see you. I've missed you."

To say Rogue was shocked would be an understatement. His mind was racing almost as fast as his heart. He never would have thought Lucy would be happy to see him. For so long he believed the connection they developed was in his imagination, a lie he'd told himself as a lonely boy. Could she really have felt it and wanted him too? The possibility chipped away at the armor the dark haired male had worn around his heart since Lucy disappeared.

Unable to stop himself, Rogue pried his hand free and gently slid into the bed on his side facing Lucy. He slid his arms around her and cradled her against his chest, much like she'd done with his hand. Even in sleep, his mate pressed further into him and let out a contented sound. For the first time in seven years, the shadows in Rogue's mind were quiet, completely at peace with Lucy so close to him.

He'd forgotten what it felt like to be close to her. There hadn't been much physical contact between the two, he was much too young to be that bold, but just her nearness had been enough. Over the years he'd convinced himself it was all a lie, a trick played on him by the evil that seemed to be a part of him, but now he knew it wasn't. She was truly his. With her warm, petite form molded to his, he couldn't deny how right this felt. How much it felt like home. Could his suffering really be over?

 _It couldn't be this easy._ The tormented young man squeezed his eyes shut, willing the doubtful voice whispering in his mind to be quiet again. Rogue hugged Lucy's body tighter and buried his nose in her hair, breathing her scent in. This close to her, there wasn't the ashy stench of her partner or the metallic tang of his ex-mentor. It was only Lucy, exactly as he remembered her before everything fell apart. The aching in his chest he rarely noticed anymore eased with each inhalation. It was a pain he'd grown accustomed to after feeling it for so long. Now that he had been reminded what he'd lost, Rogue didn't think he could let Lucy go again.

He couldn't stay here right now, though. With her nosy teammates around, someone was bound to stop by. Lucy's nearness was distracting enough that Rogue was afraid he wouldn't hear someone coming until it was too late.

When he slipped out of the bed, Rogue stood staring at Lucy for a moment, enjoying the peacefulness he felt in her presence. Just a he prepared to disappear into the shadows again, he noticed it. Gajeel's scent. Without his mind so focused on Lucy's condition, he found the source right away. The key was similar enough to the others to go unnoticed, but held enough magic that it was like a little beacon drawing Rogue's attention. He pocketed the key and slipped out of the room. On his way back to the arena, Rogue used a shadow to swallow up the key and focused enough magic into it to dissolve the metal. He wouldn't allow any other suitors to bring gifts to Lucy. No one else could have her, especially now that he knew she wanted him. She was his mate and he would claim her after the games.

Lucy woke to the sound of Wendy and Porlyusica speaking quietly about the fight going on. When Lucy sat up, Wendy rushed over to her and smiled widely as she said, "Lucy! How are you feeling?"

"I feel great, actually. Much better than I did earlier." And that was true in more ways than Wendy knew. It wasn't only Lucy's body that felt better but her mind, too. She hadn't felt this level of clarity in a long time. Was it because Ryos had come to see her? Butterflies filled her stomach when Lucy remembered how he'd come to check on her. It wasn't much, considering the conversation had been short and she'd fallen asleep in the middle of it, but it still meant something to her.

Wendy nodded but eyed Lucy, wondering if she knew another dragon slayer had been in the room. The blonde didn't appear to be under any stress, so Wendy decided against bringing it up right now. She would just have to ask Natsu and Gajeel about it later. One of them would probably know who had come into the infirmary.

When the crowd in the arena let out another loud cheer, their attention was turned back to the current match. "Are Natsu and Gajeel going up against the Twin Dragon Slayers right now?" Lucy asked as she scooted over to make room for Wendy to sit comfortably on the bed next to her.

"Yeah and it sounds like a pretty good fight!" Wendy answered excitedly. "I wish I could see it, but I have no doubt our guys will win. Natsu just doesn't know how to lose."

Lucy agreed and their conversation went on easily about what they thought might be happening. When it was clear the match was over, Wendy happily announced Fairy Tail had won. The girls squealed and hugged each other, excited their guild seemed to be pulling ahead in the games.

In the middle of their celebratory embrace, the infirmary's door was flung open and a very angry Gajeel marched inside. He growled out, "Lucy, I need to talk to you."

"Um, ok." The confused blonde answered. She was barely given time to untangle herself from Wendy before Gajeel jerked her up from the bed and grabbed her wrist to make her follow him.

"Gajeel!" Wendy shouted and jumped to her feet preparing to do her best to stop him.

"It's alright, child. Let them go." Porlyusica said consolingly.

Just before they were out of the room, Lucy agreed, "It's fine, Wendy. I'll be back in a bit."

Lucy was barely able to keep up with Gajeel's pace as he led her down the hallway to an empty room a few doors down. When they were inside, the iron slayer slammed the door shut and pulled Lucy against him, trapping her there uncomfortably between his arms.

"Uh, Gajeel, are you alright?"

The disgruntled man didn't say anything for a moment and just held onto Lucy. His face was buried in her hair while he breathed deeply to take in her scent. It wasn't a very comfortable hug, if it could be called a hug, with Gajeel's arms wrapped around Lucy in a way that kept her arms trapped at her side and her face smashed against his chest.

"I kind of need to breathe soon."

Her comment caught the iron slayer's attention and he loosened his hold a little, but not enough for her to get away. After a little wiggling, Lucy was able to put her arms around him and turn her head to the side so she could breathe. Returning the embrace seemed to help Gajeel relax a bit. Eventually, he said, "You stink."

"Excuse me?"

"You smell like the runt."

"Oh, that's what you mean. He checked on me in the infirmary after everyone left. We talked for a second but I fell asleep mid conversation, probably because of all the medication. He was gone when I woke up."

Gajeel only grunted in response. He could tell she wasn't lying, so assumed she had no idea Rogue had been all over her.

"You going to tell me why you went all caveman on me like that?"

He let out a breath while relaxing his arms a little, just having realized he was on the verge of crushing the busty blonde, and moving his head to rest on top of hers. He couldn't bring himself to let go, though. "Rough day."

"You can do better than that."

Lucy felt more than heard the growl in his chest. Whatever was bothering him must be pretty big.

"Shrimp won't even look at me and her stupid teammates are all over her. Then Salamander had to be an idiot during our match and shove me into a rail car so he could fight the Saber dragons on his own. I'm barely keepin' my dragon under control. Couldn't even speak much until now. I was too worried about losin' control and hurtin' somebody."

"Oh, Gajeel, it will be alright." Lucy hugged the hurting dragon slayer a little tighter, her heart aching for him. She understood his pain all too well. "Don't give up on Levy just yet. I know her pretty well and can tell she feels something for you. She's never gotten much male attention, with the exception of her teammates, and doesn't know how to act on it. Just give her some time."

"I don't know if I have time to give. I don't know how to deal with this shit. I already have a temper and tryna let my mate go is makin' it worse. I don't know how Ryos did this for so long without having to be put down."

Lucy gasped and looked up at Gajeel with wide eyes, "What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. When a dragon loses their mate, the loss usually kills 'em. The dragons that are unlucky enough to live through the pain usually lose it and have to be killed by another dragon. Same goes for us dragon slayers. We become a danger to everyone around us."

The tender, caring look of concern on Lucy's face was too much for Gajeel.

Lucy wasn't surprised when his lips met hers, she had expected it. What she hadn't expected was her body's reaction. It was wrong but so right at the same time. She felt like fire was traveling through her veins, burning all the way from her scalp to her toes. Gajeel's lips were soft but firm against hers, moving in practiced perfection. This close to him, she could smell his masculine scent in the sweat dried to his skin and taste a hint of metal on his tongue when he parted her lips with his. Her arms shifted without thought to wrap around his neck while his hands traveled up and down her back until they were squeezing the swell of her ass.

Before she lost the ability to think, Lucy pulled back enough to break the kiss but not leave her place against him. "Are we rushing this?"

"Probably." Gajeel dropped his head against her shoulder and let out a huff of air. He knew she was right, but god did this feel good. It had been way too long since he'd gotten any. He'd been holding out for his Shrimp. Thinking of Levy made guilt weigh on his conscience, driving him to pull away. "Sorry. I shouldn't have done that."

Lucy stepped back to let Gajeel have space, but she couldn't deny how much she wanted him to stay where he'd been. "Don't feel bad. Wasn't like I didn't enjoy it."

Gajeel's strange laughter made Lucy smile, breaking the tension between them. "Try to hang in there a little bit longer, ok? I heard the king always has a ball after the Grand Magic Games for the top ranked guilds. Levy loves things like that. She'll find the whole thing really romantic if you make a move then."

It was a great idea, Gajeel had to admit. He was glad he'd come to see Lucy, even if he still felt kind of bad. The dragon slayer decided he wouldn't let himself get down over it because, until Shrimp decided she wanted him, he was a free man.

"Well, I'm going to head back to the infirmary." Lucy said and started towards the door. As she moved past Gajeel, he grabbed her hand to get her attention.

"Thanks."

The blonde smiled, aware that it was rare to hear this man express gratitude. "You're welcome. You've been doing the same thing for me for nearly a year. It's the least I could do."

Porlyusica deemed Lucy fit enough to leave the infirmary that evening. Turning down the old woman's offer to have someone come escort her to the hotel, Lucy left on her own to make her way to the Honey Bone Inn.

The air outside was crisp and cool, soothing the blonde's frazzled nerves as she walked down the street. Her earlier peacefulness was gone, having evaporated into thin air after her encounter with Gajeel. Shadows seemed to plague her mind again as she thought of Ryos – or should she call him Rogue? – and Gajeel. She felt caught in the middle of something she'd never asked for. The dragon slayer she wanted and should be mated to had rejected her and another had come along that needed her but didn't really want her. Was there something wrong with her?

Her doubts seemed to fuel the darkness she felt coming to life in her mind. She was a failure as a Celestial Mage; that much was clear after her losses in the games. Why would anyone want someone like her? She'd run away from home to make something of herself in a place she'd be accepted, but look where she ended up. Alone and unwanted. It was exactly the life the blonde thought she'd run away from.

 _You don't need them. You'll never be alone again if you let us help you._

Lucy fell to her knees with her head in her hands as she fought the power raging in her mind. She couldn't give in. She'd fought for so long to keep this darkness at bay, knowing if she gave in she would be changed forever, but she didn't think she could win this time. Tears started running down the Celestial Mage's cheeks as she squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her teeth, fighting with everything she had left. Unable to stand the strain, the blonde collapsed to the ground unconscious.

Sting felt the surge in Rogue's magic blocks away and wondered what the idiot was up to now. Probably got in another fight and was about to lose his shit. He'd been acting strangely, more than usual, ever since seeing that blonde hottie from Fairy Tail. Sting wasn't as dumb as people thought. He knew exactly who the girl was to Rogue. What he didn't understand was why his twin dragon slayer was acting like she didn't exist. Even though he didn't know the details of their past, Sting knew she was the girl Rogue had been tied up with before they were reunited. It was obvious when she'd called him by his former name.

Jogging over to the area he'd felt Rogue's magic, Sting looked around but didn't see his partner anywhere. Just the guy left crumpled on the ground. Walking a little closer to look at the damage left behind, Sting realized he'd been wrong. It wasn't a guy on the ground at all. What the hell was wrong with Rogue? Why would he attack a woman?

When Sting knelt down to see if he could help, he was finally able to see the woman's face and everything started to make sense. He was going to kill Rogue next time he saw him, but first he had to help Lucy. He couldn't let his brother's mate die.

The White Dragon Slayer scooped the girl up and started running towards the inn his guild was staying at. He'd have to sneak her into his room and hope no one, especially not Rogue, caught him with Fairy Tail's Celestial Mage.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hate to give you bad news but this will be the last chapter for this week. I won't be writing anything over the weekend, just spending time with the family. The next chapter should be up Monday or Tuesday. Hope you enjoy it!**

 **westerngoddess - I think you'll like Sting in this chapter. Thank you to all the reviewers for your support!**

 **Anyone that is offended by excessive cursing... you might want to skip this chapter. It fit the characters and situations, so I wrote it. Unedited as always, so expect and please excuse errors.**

The White Dragon Slayer made it back to the inn without getting caught. Moving through the city streets hadn't been too risky for Sting since it wasn't uncommon for him to have a female hanging on him in various stages of sobriety. But the real challenge would be getting past Orga. The God Slayer's heightened senses were nearly as good as his own.

"Hey, Sting! You got another one?" Orga's drunken shouting made the others in the inn's bar turn to look towards the entrance. Thankfully, none of them were mages.

Doing his best to imitate his usual cocky grin, Sting answered, "Yeah. Gotta get her upstairs so the real party can start."

"Hell yeah, man. Let me know if she wants another round with a real man when you're done. I love the blonde ones."

Ignoring the last comment, though Sting's pride made it difficult, he continued onto the stairs to get to his room as fast as possible. He had never been more grateful for Orga's tendency to drink more than the usual alcoholic. The guy must have assumed Lucy was just another groupie.

Sting did his best not to jostle his cargo too much as he opened the door to his room and locked it behind him. He stopped at the foot of the bed considering how to clear the remnants of last night's activities from before laying her down. When the blonde in his arms shivered again, he shrugged off the concern and figured it was more important to get her warmed up than to make sure she wouldn't see the panties or rumpled sheets left behind from another woman.

The slayer settled Lucy on his bed and turned to look for the thick blanket that had been on it when he checked into the room. He looked everywhere – the closet, under the bed, in the bathroom – but couldn't find it. How did he lose an entire blanket? Well, it wasn't that hard to figure out. He was usually busy with that night's lucky lady or sleeping while he was in his room, not picking up after himself or making his bed.

A quiet whimper drew Sting's attention back to the suffering woman. Shadows had started creeping along her skin in the same wispy fashion they moved across Rogue's, but this was different. The petite woman looked like she was being swallowed whole instead of drawing them in for her own use. Cursing under his breath, the dragon slayer moved faster in his search for the blanket, finding it behind the dresser, and rushed to cover Lucy with it.

When he finally made it to her, the shivers had progressed into full body shakes on the verge of being a seizure. "Fuck", he said louder than he intended and hoped no one outside the room heard him. Throwing the blanket away, Sting climbed onto the bed to straddle Lucy's body and use his weight to keep her down. Sitting on her upper thighs, he leaned forward to press her shoulders into the bed, noticing the shadows grew lighter as soon as he touched her. "So that's why they weren't there earlier."

Acting on instinct, the White Dragon Slayer focused his magic into his hands, hoping his light would be enough to dispel the darkness. It worked, kind of. The shadows started receding from the area near his hands but shifted to gather over her heart and travel up to her head. It was like they were fighting to keep control of her body, and Sting really hated losing a fight. These shadows reminded him of Rogue's Shadow Drive, so he'd just have to do one better.

He muttered, "Dragon Force," and let his true dragon slaying magic take over. A blinding light filled the room as Sting's body was surrounded by a pure white aura that seemed to glow with power. Moving his hands to cover Lucy's forehead and heart, while doing his best to ignore his perverted imagination, Sting focused on forcing his light into the densest shadows. Immediately, the shadows began to move to escape the light, making her chest arch upwards forcefully as they fled. When the last of the darkness had left her skin, the woman's body collapsed back onto the bed unmoving.

Sting let his magic dissipate, returning to his normal form, and moved his hands to rest of either side of Lucy's head. He eyed her closely, waiting for any signs of life. He really hoped he hadn't just killed the poor girl. Rogue would never forgive him.

Suddenly, Lucy's eyes popped open wide and she sucked in a deep breath like a drowning person coming up for air. After a moment, her eyes began to focus and locked onto Sting's face only inches from her own. The now terrified woman let out a shrill scream of terror and started thrashing around trying to escape the man pinning her to the bed. Realizing he was the cause of her panic, Sting jumped off the bed with his hands raised in front of him saying, "It's ok, it's ok. You're safe. I wasn't trying to do anything bad. I was helping you."

Scrambling backwards as far as she could, Lucy looked around frantically trying to figure out where she was and how she had gotten there with Sabertooth's other dragon slayer. "What's going on?"

"I found you knocked out in the street smelling like Rogue's magic. You didn't look so good, so I brought you to my room to try cancelling out his shadows. I think it worked."

The still frantic blonde woman stared wide eyed at her supposed savior for a moment before thinking over what he'd just said. Her mind supplied the memory of her mental battle against the intense darkness just before passing out. That was Ryos' magic? She'd never known that. No wonder he looked slightly disturbed each time she'd seen him. Lucy closed her eyes to focus inwardly, realizing it was gone completely. The pressure she'd dealt with for so long, the voices, the constant frustration, all of it was gone. Only her own hidden darkness was there, the same thing she'd felt her entire life and knew how to manage perfectly well.

A smile spread across her face as Lucy opened her eyes to look at Sting again. "You're right. It's gone. I feel like myself again."

Releasing the breath he'd been holding, Sting relaxed his posture and said, "Good. I'm pretty sure you died there for a second."

"What?!"

"I mean not really died like all the way dead. You just weren't breathing and your heart stopped beating for a second."

"That's not really reassuring," she deadpanned.

Sting just shrugged it off and moved to sit on the edge of the bed. "So you're the girl Rogue would never tell me about."

Lucy raised an eyebrow at that. "What do you mean?"

"We were separated for awhile but found each other again a few years ago. I could tell something had changed with him and was pretty sure it had to do with a girl, but he'd never tell me anything about it. He got pretty bad there for awhile. Thought I might lose him. But my light balances out his darkness, so he was able to pull through it."

Hanging her head at the reminder of what should have been but wasn't, Lucy started fiddling with the sheets until she noticed something disturbing. "Is that thong yours?"

"Oh shit!" Sting snatched panties and tossed them across the room where they landed behind the dresser. He wondered briefly if that's how the blanket ended up there.

Reminded of her partner, Lucy muttered, "Not the sharpest tool. It's like hanging out with Natsu."

"I heard that."

The blonde woman laughed lightly, noticing how easy it was to talk to Sting. She'd never talked to anyone about the situation with Ryos. Maybe he could give her some answers. "It wasn't until after we got back from Tenrou Island that I figured out I was Ryos' mate. Wait, should I start calling him Rogue?"

"I dunno." Sting answered with a shrug. "That's up to him. Hardly anyone even knows what his real name is. That's actually how I figured out you had known him before we joined Saber. He didn't change his name until around that time." The dragon slayer hesitated for a moment before continuing, not sure if she'd be willing to give him any answers. "What happened between you two back then?"

Lucy didn't answer immediately. She just stared straight ahead as if reliving the memories. "I had just run away from my father. I'm assuming you know I'm the Heartfilia heir and the story behind that. The first time we met, Rogue was trying to steal my pack. He was homeless and I was too, so we ended up staying together for a little while. I had a room at an inn with two beds and he needed a place to stay. Since I was alone at the time, it helped a lot to have a partner for job requests. It worked out well. We worked well. There wasn't anything romantic between us at the time, he was only 13, but there was a real connection there. It was like we were two sides of a coin."

Sting watched Lucy's expressions change as she talked about his partner. He could see how much she cared about Rogue and how much it hurt her to lose him. His twin wasn't the only one that had suffered.

Eventually, she started speaking again, "My dream was to join Fairy Tail. When I heard the Salamander would be in a nearby town, I left in hopes of finding him and getting an invitation to the guild. I tried to get Ryos, I mean Rogue, to come with me, but he wanted to keep training with Gajeel and join Phantom Lord. That day was the last time I saw him until Natsu and I ran into you two here in Crocus."

Sting nodded, letting the details soak in. A lot of things were making more sense now. "So, why haven't you two hooked up yet? You got somebody else?"

A snort escaped Lucy before she could stop it. "Not really."

The doubt was evident in her tone. Sting could tell there was something she wasn't saying. "But kind of?"

Lucy hesitated again but decided to just lay it all out there. She wouldn't tell Gajeel's secret, but she would tell her part of it. "After leaving Rogue, I started struggling with the darkness. It must have been the part of his magic I picked up while with him. It started out small but eventually became uncontrollable. I was starting to go a little crazy. It stopped when Gajeel joined the guild. Something about him calmed the shadows in me and I was able to start thinking straight again. A few weeks ago, he gave me a key made from his iron charged with enough of his magic to keep me sane when he's not around. Until recently, there hadn't been anything between us. We barely spoke to each other. I would just always find excuses to be near him until I had my head wasn't a jumbled mess anymore. Even now, whatever there is between us isn't anything more than friendship and desperation."

Sting could hear the hint of a lie in her voice and smell the huge amount of guilt coming from her, but figured it was best to not say anything about it. She was dealing with her shit the best she could. Rogue certainly wasn't an angel. He was probably out fucking somebody right now. Just thinking about it pissed Sting off. How could he just ignore Lucy and let her nearly die alone on a street while he ran around doing whatever he wanted? There's no way Rogue couldn't sense her when they were in the same city and so close to each other. Dragons were meant to protect their mates, not abandon them.

"Do you want to be Rogue's mate?"

The direct question took Lucy off guard. She just stared at Sting unsure of what to say. Two weeks ago, she would have said yes immediately. The blonde had assumed he was still the Ryos she'd known so long ago. Now, though? She wasn't so sure.

Her silence said it all to Sting. He was well aware of how different Rogue was now and felt sorry for any girl that ended up with him for more than a night. "I know he's kind of an ass, but he isn't so bad. Have you tried talking to him?"

"No. Except for coming to make sure I was ok in the infirmary, he hasn't even acknowledged me. He's hardly looked at me! How am I supposed to talk to someone that acts like I don't exist?" The blonde woman was angry by the time she finished speaking. She'd held out hope things would go a certain way between them but had only been disappointed. Tears of frustration slid down her cheeks as she thought about how reality differed so much from her expectations.

The poor dragon slayer had no idea how to handle a crying female. He awkwardly reached over to pat her head like she was dog. His terrible attempt at comfort made Lucy laugh a little, ending her tears. "You suck at this."

"Ah, whatever." Sting waved off her teasing as he stood up and peaked out into the hall to make sure no one was sneaking around. His ears and nose were good, but it never hurt to be sure. When he closed the door and started walking back towards Lucy, he said "I need to sneak you back out of here before anyone finds out a member of a rival guild was in my room. Can't have everyone thinking I'm consorting with the losers."

"Seriously? And here I was starting to think you were nice."

Sting's only response was a cheesy grin. He knelt down in front of the bed, offering his back to Lucy. "Hop on. I'll run you over close enough to your inn that you can walk the rest of the way."

The Celestial Mage rolled her eyes but obliged, used to this kind of thing with Natsu. When she was securely in place with her arms around Sting's neck and his hands behind her knees, Sting jumped from the balcony and took off towards the Honey Bone Inn. It was only a few minutes before he was kneeling again to let Lucy get down. He waited and watched her walk slowly, likely still exhausted from her near death experience, until she made it safely inside.

The White Dragon Slayer took off again, having figured out where Rogue was while he was taking Lucy back to her inn. He made his way to the bar quickly and immediately spotted his partner. Rogue was seated at a booth with a girl who had been following them around earlier that day. The shadow slayer looked uninterested as always, but Sting knew there was a good chance he'd screw her tonight. When Sting was standing in front of the table, he glared at the girl and said, "Leave."

The girl shot out of the booth. She was fully aware of who had just spoken to her and didn't want to be on his bad side. When she was gone, Rogue looked at his partner with a raised eyebrow.

"Outside. Now." Sting didn't bother to wait for a response before turning around to leave the bar. He kept walking until he reached the nearest alley, knowing Rogue was following. As soon as they were both in the shadows, Sting punched his partner with the force of all the frustration he'd built up in the last couple hours. Before Rogue could regain his balance from the sucker punch, Sting had him pinned to the wall with a hand around his throat. "What the hell were you doing in there?"

"I think I should be asking you that." Rogue forced out as he gathered shadows to him. They slithered up Sting's arm, tearing it away from his neck. With his throat free, he was able to take in a deep breath and smelled someone on Sting that he never should. Suddenly angry, Rogue demanded, "What the hell were you doing with Lucy?"

"I was doing what you should have been doing!" Sting shouted as he shoved Rogue, unafraid of the dangerous look in his partner's eyes. He'd seen it before and lived through it. "While you were out here looking for some chick to screw for the night, Lucy was in the street dying in a swarm of your shadows! If I hadn't found her when I did, she would be dead right now!"

Rogue's anger deflated instantly. "That's not possible. I just saw her a few hours ago and she was fine."

"Well, clearly something changed. Or maybe the thing Gajeel gave her stopped working. I don't know what happened, but it's your fault for not fulfilling your duties as her mate."

Guilt ate away at Rogue when he thought of Lucy suffering while he was trying to distract himself from having thoughts of her. He wasn't trying to neglect her. He just didn't know how else to keep himself sane when he couldn't have his mate. Distracting himself with women was the only thing that worked when he wasn't around Sting. "I need to go see her."

"No you don't, asshole. She's fine now without you. I pumped enough light magic into her to cancel out the darkness. Why should you go running back to her to get it all started over again when you don't even want her for your mate? You were lucky enough to have gift wrapped perfection dropped in your lap as a kid while the rest of us are stuck searching for our mates. Instead of being grateful, you just fucking abandoned her to deal with the shit that comes along with it."

"She abandoned me years ago! I had to survive the same thing without her."

"It wasn't her choice! She told me the whole story about the two of you meeting and how she looked for you until her guild disappeared. There wasn't anything she could do about that. I know you both suffered while you were apart, but you chose to turn your back on her when we ran into them a few days ago."

Rogue felt sick. Sting was right. He was right about everything. For so long, he'd closed himself off from everything and everyone to keep control of his inner dragon, but now it backfired. He'd left Lucy alone when she needed him most. Rogue finally realized he'd become so wrapped up in his own struggles dealing with their separation that he hadn't stopped to consider how it was affecting Lucy. What kind of mate would he be if he took her the way he was now? She didn't deserve someone like him.

And if he was right about what he thought of Sting's earlier comment, it meant the key from Gajeel that Rogue had destroy was the only thing keeping Lucy from drowning in his magic. He'd assumed it meant something completely different, but he'd been wrong. So, so wrong. She had almost died today and it was because of him. The Shadow Dragon Slayer backed away from his partner, unable to speak. This was his fault. All of it. Rogue slipped into his shadow form and escaped into the night.

The rest of the games passed in a blur for Lucy. Fairy Tail had pulled off the unthinkable and managed to come back from last place to win it all. Their guild was back on top and could no longer be looked down on.

The king's ball was as romantic and beautiful as she expected it to be. How could it have been anything less than amazing in a castle? Even Natsu and Gray dressed up in elegant formalwear, looking handsome and refined. Well, until they started fighting. Gray stripped to his underwear and Natsu burned the arms off his suit. It was Fairy Tail at its finest.

Things went just as Lucy expected for Gajeel and Levy. The Celestial Mage talked to her friend while they dressed for the evening, explaining that things weren't what her friend had assumed between Lucy and Gajeel. Encouraged by the talk and feeling beautiful in her formal dress, Levy had been bold enough to be accepting of Gajeel's advances. The two were now an item. The blonde knew it wouldn't be long before they were mated and living together with little blue haired iron loving kids running around. The twinge she felt in her heart when the blonde saw the couple together was something she did her best to ignore. She couldn't say she wasn't jealous of her friend, but what she wasn't sure of was if the jealousy was caused by her friend beginning a relationship or that the relationship was with Gajeel.

One person had been noticeably absent from the king's celebration. Lucy hadn't seen Rogue since they'd spoken in the infirmary. He hadn't even shown up for the final day of the games. It worked out in Fairy Tail's favor, though. Yukino had been added back to Sabertooth's team, but the loss of their other dragon slayer sealed their fate.

During the ball, Lucy and Yukino spent time talking and laughing, agreeing to visit each other in the near future. As the new, self appointed guild master, Sting offered Lucy an open invitation to visit their guild whenever she wanted. If it had been his sly way of getting her to come see Rogue, neither of them mentioned it.

As Lucy relaxed in the oversized bath in her apartment, she considered what do to next with her life. Without the constant nagging of shadows in her mind, she could think more clearly. She'd been working more steadily on her novel and training with her spirits. Life was good with her team and the guild was doing well. There weren't any dark guilds trying to kidnap her or destroy the world. Things were unusually peaceful. Knowing it wouldn't last forever, the blonde was doing her best to relax and enjoy it.

It wasn't easy, though. Even without the darkness weighing heavily in her thoughts, Lucy still thought of Ryos, or Rogue as he preferred, constantly. Whatever Sting had done had effectively severed their tie, but she still couldn't let go. Why was she still so caught up on him? He hadn't once told her he wanted anything from her. So, why did she feel like there was still something between them?


	6. Chapter 6

**This is a little shorter than I wanted it to be but I really wanted to get it out to you guys today. Bad weather had the kiddos home from school, so I didn't get any writing done until today. I'll try to get the next chapter out in the next day or two. Let me know what you think! Thank you to everyone that has reviewed, followed, and favorited. You keep me writing.**

 **Please expect and excuse errors. This chapter is less edited than usual. Just did a quick once over and I posted it.**

With Virgo's help, Lucy managed to pack a week's worth of clothing and other necessities into one suitcase. Quite the feat for the blonde. The Celestial Mage was suspicious of Virgo, believing the spirit may have snuck some of the outfits to the spirit world for storage before taking the suitcase itself, but she wasn't going to complain.

She and Yukino had finally worked out getting together to do something nice for their spirits. Lucy would hop on the train with her friend and they'd travel the rest of the way to Spirit Hill together. After that, they'd spend a relaxing few days in a resort town only a few miles away from Sabertooth, then Lucy would finally take Sting up on his offer to visit their guild. The white haired mage's train should be stopping in Magnolia in about an hour, giving Lucy just enough time to finish up and meet Levy with the next chapter of her novel. There had been a few awkward moments between the two friends in the two months since the Grand Magic Games, but their friendship held strong.

Levy felt betrayed and angry with Lucy when she confronted her about kissing Gajeel after he'd come clean. Thankfully, the Script Mage had been level headed enough to deal with the issue outside the guild hall. Otherwise, the three parties involved would have never heard the end of the gossip. Lucy hadn't wanted to explain the entire situation, but didn't see any other way around it. She had been shocked by how quickly her blue haired friend switched from angry to supportive by the end of their conversation. Levy understood Lucy's circumstances, having experienced a small taste of it, and forgave her for finding comfort in Gajeel while also encouraging her to seek out Rogue to see where things would go. Lucy wasn't so sure about doing that – why try when she'd probably be rejected again? - but she was glad to have her friend's support in whatever she chose to do.

A knock at the door caught Lucy's attention. The blonde shouted "Come in!" while rushing over to her writing desk. She assumed Levy was there to pick up the novel knowing Lucy would probably be running behind. "Sorry! I know I was supposed to be at the guild already but you know how I get when I'm packing! Anyway, here's the– "

The blonde's words were cut off as she turned around to face her friend. Shock colored her features when she realized it wasn't Levy that had come through her front door but Gajeel. The two hadn't spoken much lately, feeling even more uncomfortable around each other than ever before.

"Oh, uh, Gajeel. Hey." Lucy knew her attempt at her usual cheerfulness was an epic failure but just couldn't force it out. She had hoped to never have to speak to the Iron Dragon Slayer again and just pretend nothing ever happened.

Gajeel looked just as unsure of himself as he spoke. "Hey. Uh, Shrimp said she'd been expectin' you to come to the guild but you didn't show, so I'm here to get the book from you."

Nodding as she stepped towards the man, she handed him the notebook she wrote her stories in and said, "Here you go. Well, I need to get going. Have to be-"

"Are you ok?"

The second surprise caught Lucy even more off guard. Gajeel was a caring person underneath his metal covered exterior, but he wasn't someone to talk much about feelings, much less ask about anyone else's. When the blonde made a strangled noise that sounded slightly inquisitive, he went on, "You ain't been around much lately, and I get why, but I wanted to make sure you weren't hidin' shit again. With all the shit that went down, seems like you might be having problems but keepin' it to yourself."

"Oh. Wow. Uh-" Lucy thought she might faint from shock if he got any more considerate in the next few seconds. "I'm good, Gajeel."

"No you aren't. Can't lie to a dragon slayer." He said with a tap to his nose.

"Ok, fine." She huffed with her hands on her hips, irritated to have been caught out. "I'm not good but I'm also not on the verge of a mental break. When Sting used his light magic to dispel the shadows, he cancelled out whatever connection had been established between Rogue and I. So, I'm not struggling with the darkness anymore but I'm also not happy. Satisfied?"

The Iron Dragon Slayer wasn't sure if he had ever felt guiltier than he did in that moment. Lucy had helped him gain everything he'd dreamed of but lost it all herself. It wasn't either of their faults, but he still felt responsible. The two of them could have had something good together, but then he would have lost his Shrimp and she would have been the one unhappy. There just wasn't a way for everyone to win.

"I'm sorry."

Lucy dropped her gaze to the floor as she struggled to keep the moisture gathering in her eyes from spilling over. Those words were so much more than just a simple apology given to a hurting friend. This man had been her rock for nearly a year, whether he knew it at the time or not, and he was now saying goodbye to her. Though she hadn't expected anything else, she had come to terms with her budding feelings for him awhile ago, it still hurt to be reminded that she was alone. She had felt so much disappointment and loss in such a short time. The blonde rarely let herself cry, trying instead to push through the pain and carry on with a smile. This was too much, though. The tears slipped down her cheeks as she nodded, already having forgiven him. Gajeel had found his happiness. It was time for Lucy to find hers.

When she looked up and met his eyes with a smile, it was a real one. She would persevere like she always did and life would get better. "Don't worry about it. I need to head out, though. You'll make sure Levy gets the story?"

Gajeel nodded and turned to leave with Lucy following just behind him. Once outside, the blonde locked the door while the dragon slayer stood shifting from foot to foot as if he were unsure of how to leave things. Lucy was ready to move on, though. With another bright smile on her face, she started down the stairs and looked back with a wave saying, "Let Levy know I'll be back in about a week."

He watched the blonde leave, still weighed down by guilt. There was nothing he could do for her now, though. Gajeel had made his choice. Though he didn't regret how things turned out for him, he couldn't help but feel as if he had made things worse for Lucy.

Once he finally managed to start moving and made it back to the guild, the dragon slayer made a beeline straight for his Shrimp. The nearness of his mate was already calming the conflicting emotions in him. Shoving the notebook towards her, he grunted, "Here."

Levy thanked him excitedly but tucked the notebook into her bag to read later. Now wasn't the time, not when she could tell just how much Gajeel was struggling. Touching his arm, the blue haired woman said, "I'm glad you talked to her."

With eyes narrowed in suspicion, wondering if his Shrimp had been spying, he asked, "What are you talking about?"

Rolling her eyes at his attitude, she said, "You both needed it. Even though it bothered you to talk to her, I can tell it helped."

Nothing else was said as Levy patted Gajeel's arm in a small, comforting fashion that wouldn't draw attention. She created some iron with her script magic, then stood up and walked away to give him some time to himself

The Iron Dragon Slayer was amazed again at how deeply his woman seemed to understand him, not to mention the trust she showed by sending him over to Lucy's. The way she saw right through him to the core of who he truly was had been part of why he'd been attracted to her in the beginning. She was right, as always, he had needed to find closure by talking to the blonde. It would take awhile before things weren't awkward between them, but he knew it would get better.

Turning to his homemade snack, the slayer munched away while feeling grateful to have found the perfect mate. He would never say it out loud, but his heart fluttered a little as he thought about her.

The stress of the last few weeks seemed to float away with the steam rising from the heated water of the bath Lucy was sharing with Yukino. After checking into their hotel room, the two women made their way over to the Japanese style bath house Yukino had visited a few times. It was a popular attraction for tourists and locals alike because of how perfectly the bath house was managed. There wasn't a chance of peeping toms sneaking around since men weren't allowed entrance on the women only days. Unless Lucy's pervy lion decided to pop in. Just the thought of him seemed to have the leader of the zodiac testing the limits of Lucy's magic holding his gate closed.

They had agreed to Loke's request to go on a date with 'the two most beautiful Celestial Mages to ever grace Earthland' but needed time to unwind first. Doing nice things for their spirits had been wonderful but exhausting. Both women felt immeasurably grateful to their friends for always being on call and willing to help the mages when they needed it. They were worn out now, though, especially Lucy. Having so many spirits to summon had really drained the blonde woman. Before she had her second origin opened, summoning all of them consecutively in a short span of time was something she would never have been able to accomplish if she wanted to be able to function the rest of the day.

"So, Lucy," Yukino's voice brought Lucy's thoughts back to the present. Relaxing in the warm, lightly scented bath water had made the blonde woman's mind drift aimlessly for longer than she'd realized. "When are you going to ask me about Rogue?"

Hoping she still looked as carefree as she'd felt moments ago, Lucy answered, "What are you talking about? Why would I ask about Rogue?"

Yukino's incredulous look let Lucy know she wasn't fooled. Their staring contest went on for a few more seconds until Lucy caved and rolled her eyes with a huff. "Ok, fine. I'm dying to know where he's been the past two months and what happened after he disappeared at the games. Will you tell me?"

Smiling triumphantly, the white haired woman relished in the fact that she'd finally gotten through to her friend. All day, Yukino had been dropping hints here and there in conversation to try reeling Lucy into asking about her estranged dragon slayer, but the blonde just wouldn't take the bait. She knew her friend needed someone to talk to. Yukino wasn't sure she would have survived the way Lucy had with her sunny disposition still intact.

"Well, he was gone for awhile. No one really knows where he disappeared to. Actually, I take that back; Sting probably knows but no one else does. Rogue showed up about three weeks ago but left again on a job request after only staying at the guild for a few hours. I haven't seen him since and haven't heard anyone else mention seeing him."

Lucy nodded, unsure of what to say. Yukino's news wasn't really much of an update, but it made the possibilities start to run wild in Lucy's mind. Why had Rogue disappeared? Was he in some kind of trouble? Was he ok? Had he found someone else to take as a mate? The last thought hurt Lucy the most but she tried to ignore the ache. She shouldn't care if he found someone else. It wasn't as if she'd tried seeking him out since he disappeared.

Yukino did her best to keep her facial expression controlled into something neutral but it was hard to keep down the smile that wanted to appear. Just watching the blonde's face made her want to laugh. The first step in Sting's plan had been perfect. Just a tiny mention of Rogue had Lucy's mind going a mile a minute. It would only be a matter of time before the star crossed lovers would be reunited. The thought was so romantic it made the woman blush brightly.

"Are you ok, Yuki?" Lucy asked, concerned for her friend. The white haired mage only hummed in answer as she tried to look curious and not embarrassed at being caught fantasizing. "You're looking a little flushed. Maybe we've been in this warm water too long. It's probably time to head out, anyway, so we can get ready for our date with that frisky lion."

A driving beat had Lucy's body swaying provocatively with the bass line. After her second coke with a double shot of rum, the blonde woman's inhibitions were lax enough to have her grinding away on her trusty lion spirit with much more enthusiasm than she would have while sober. Loke wasn't complaining, though. He could easily keep an eye on his intoxicated contract holder like this. His presence was effective in keeping all the perverts eyeing the beautiful woman at a safe distance. And if Lucy didn't slap his hand away when it slid from her waist down to her hip so he could pull her a little closer to him? He wouldn't complain about that either.

Even Yukino was having a good time on the dance floor, though she wasn't nearly as carefree as her friend. She had summoned the son half of Pisces to have her own dance partner after Loke ditched her for the rare opportunity of gaining Lucy's attentions. The white haired woman wasn't offended, though. Loke was a little too perverted for her to handle. Plus, Pisces was way more fun. His strange style of dancing was hilarious and easier to keep up with than the risqué moves the zodiac leader and his owner seemed to have mastered. Pisces moved in a very exotic way, though not in the stripper sense of the word. More like a foreign tribesman with the way he bounced, twirled, flipped and clapped along with the music. He even kept her feeling safe by scaring other men away with a glare and 'back off, bro'.

Several songs played through before Lucy became desperate enough for water to make her way back to the bar. The mixture of more liquor than she'd had in awhile and all the dancing had her throat dry and tongue feeling like sandpaper. While chugging a bottle of water, the blonde couldn't shake the feeling she was being watched. Well, much more closely than she had been all night. Lucy knew the way she and Loke had been dancing was drawing attention, which was something she could admit she'd probably regret tomorrow, but this felt different. A look around didn't show anyone eyeing her closely, so the woman finished her water and waived down the bartender to order another drink.

Sitting on a bar stool facing the dance floor, Lucy sipped what she decided would be her last drink of the night much more slowly than she'd finished off the first two. She was only working to maintain her buzz at this point, not become out of her mind drunk. As she watched her friends move with the music, the blonde felt the same pressure of eyes on her again.

Now that she was focused on the feeling, she realized the presence felt familiar. Doubting her own instincts, Lucy looked all around her checking every shadow for signs of Rogue, expecting to see him hiding in one. When she didn't see him anywhere, a pang of longing tugged at her heart, but she was determined not to feel any of that tonight.

Throwing back the rest of her mixed drink, the blonde set the glass down forcefully and made her way back into the crowd of dancers. Loke didn't hesitate to blow off the two women that had taken up Lucy's place in her absence and focus his attention back on his summoner. Lucy ignored the way his body didn't fit against hers, how his hands didn't feel right when they were on her, and the wrongness of his scent. Mostly, she ignored the way her soul seemed to cry out for her dragon slayer and, instead, let herself be distracted by the leader of the zodiac.

Rogue let his body glide slowly through the shadows as he tried to talk himself out of following Lucy's scent. The Shadow Dragon Slayer had been shocked earlier that day to find her scent so close. For weeks, he had been hiding out in the forest outside the city trying to get his mind into some semblance of order and had successfully managed to avoid everyone he knew. The wakeup call he'd gotten the night his mate almost died had been exactly what he needed. He knew he still wanted her but had to get himself together before he tried approaching her again.

Now, here she was, popping up in his life out of nowhere just as she had so many years ago. If he were being honest with himself, she hadn't exactly popped up again. The blonde didn't even know he was nearby. He had seen her with Yukino leaving an inn to head towards a shopping center, so her arrival in the same city he was currently in was simply a coincidence.

The dragon slayer had spent the rest of the afternoon fighting the urge to seek Lucy out just to be near her. There were so many things he wanted to tell her, so many things he'd done in the past few weeks, but he couldn't bring himself to do it. She looked so happy and carefree without him and his dark magic polluting her mind. Would she even want to give him a chance to show her how far he'd come?

He had finally given up the internal battle and tracked Lucy down to a bar. Once inside, it didn't take Rogue long to spot his mate dancing much too closely to a man he quickly realized was a celestial spirit. He watched them closely, noticing the way her body moved perfectly in tune with the music and how the way the cat-eared spirit let his hands roam freely over her body. When jealousy blossomed like a poisonous flower in his chest, Rogue had to remind himself he and Lucy weren't in any sort of relationship. The two of them couldn't even be considered friends as they once were. She was her own woman and made her own choices, plus she had no idea he was even around. None of that really helped calm his rage, but it did keep the dragon slayer from doing something rash.

When Lucy abandoned her spirit to return to the bar, Rogue let his shadows follow her. He knew he couldn't go to her without being ready to speak to her, but at least his shadows could be near her. It was risky but the dragon slayer was curious, so he let his shadows intermingle with her shadow. Realizing she could feel him was bittersweet. Lucy wouldn't have felt the presence of his shadows if there wasn't still a connection between them, but it also meant he needed to leave. The blonde would definitely still be able to see him in his shadow form and he wasn't ready for that, even if his inner dragon insisted otherwise.

He hesitated long enough to see his mate look around frantically and didn't miss the disappointment on her face when she didn't see him anywhere. Feeling a little guilty but also encouraged, the dragon slayer slipped back out of the bar to plan his next move. Rogue wouldn't make her wait this time, though. If he was right, and he was nearly certain he was, Lucy still wanted him. He wasn't going to let her go this time.


	7. Chapter 7

**We're coming close to the end of this story. Only one or two chapters left. Leave a review and let me know what you think so far!**

Dragging Yukino out of bed the next day hadn't been an easy task. The woman could not handle her alcohol and had a hangover unlike any Lucy had ever seen. Not to mention deadly morning breath. But they had places to be, so she'd just have to deal with getting up early.

"Good god, Yuki. Your breath smells like you've been snacking on manure."

"Just be quiet, you evil lady."

Lucy couldn't contain the laugh that bubbled up when she heard the insult. Evil lady? Yukino was even sweet when she was hungover and trying to be mean.

The miserable woman pulled the blanket over her head hoping to disappear. That didn't stop Lucy from shaking her awake after she dozed off again. Refusing to get out from under the covers, Yukino pulled them tighter around her and rolled over until she was wrapped in a soft cocoon of comfort.

Grumbling under her breath, Lucy pulled out Virgo's key to summon the spirit for help. Dealing with Natsu after a night of heavy drinking had given the blonde a pretty good idea of what her friend needed. After the maid's usual request for punishment, Virgo left for a moment before returning with water from the spirit world that could cure any headache and a simple breakfast of toast with eggs.

When the temptation of food and water didn't do anything to rouse the sleepy lump in the bed, Virgo said, "Miss Yukino. Son of Pisces has asked me to pass on a message. He says, 'Mama, I can feel you suffering all the way in the Celestial Realm. Either get up and take care of your hangover or I'll have Virgo punish you and then never go dancing with you again.'"

A feather tipped whip appeared in Virgo's hand before she turned to Lucy with a mischievous look and asked, "Permission to punish Miss Yukino, Princess?"

Yukino's voice interrupted Virgo's fantasy. "That won't be necessary. Thank you for bringing me breakfast, though." The white haired mage untangled her body from the blanket while Virgo bowed and disappeared in a shimmer of light.

Once she'd finished the glass of water and eaten her breakfast, Yukino was feeling much more like herself. The rest of the morning passed quickly as the two women packed up their belongings, sent them with Virgo for storage, and checked out of the hotel. Lucy would be staying with Yukino at her place during her time visiting Saber. Sting had hounded her about coming to see how 'awesome' their guild was now that he was the master and wanted Lucy get to know the other mages now that they weren't ruled by the former master.

The two had struck up an unexpected friendship after he saved her life, keeping in touch via communication lacrima. Just after the GMG, when Lucy's misery had been at its worst, she refused to answer his or anyone else's calls. Sting had been persistent, though, refusing to give her the space she claimed she needed. He'd asked Yukino to summon Libra to get in touch with Lucy's spirits to ask one of them to check on her. His thoughtfulness had touched the blonde, making her realize her depression wasn't only affecting her. When she'd finally called him back, Sting went on an angry rant for awhile and ended his lecture by telling her he refused to lose his sister because his partner was an idiot. Of course, Lucy had cried, confusing Sting until she explained they were happy tears. They'd been close ever since.

Traveling to the guild hall didn't take as long as the women had expected since, instead of walking, they were able to hitch a ride with a farmer taking his crops to the market in town. After waving goodbye to the kind man, the celestial mages made their way through the guild doors.

"Hey, it's Yukino and the little fairy!" Orga's booming voice greeted the pair before the doors had even closed. Lucy was surprised to find herself swept up in a hug from the giant, green haired man.

"Hi, Orga." She said as she returned the hug as best she could with the way he was holding her in the air. It was clear to Lucy that he was drunk even though it was only just after 11am. He must be Sabertooth's male version of Cana. "You're way happier to see me than I thought you'd be considering we've never talked to one another."

"Well, Sting wouldn't shut up about you coming back with Yukino today, so we've all been expecting you. And it's hard not to look forward to seeing you when I feel like I know you after hearing so many conversations between you and our all powerful master."

Still hanging from his arms, Lucy let her forehead fall to his shoulder in despair. "You heard everything we talked about?"

Laughing as he put the blonde woman back on the floor, Orga slapped her on the back a little harder than he meant to and said, "Yep. Kinda hard not to hear everything."

"I totally forgot about you having super hearing." The embarrassed blonde groaned, wishing she could just go hide in Yukino's apartment the rest of the week. While she hadn't told Sting many details on her time with Rogue or really anything related to the shadow slayer, she had told him plenty of other embarrassing stories about jobs with her team and wild things she'd done while out with her friends in Magnolia.

Turning to Yukino, Orga said, "Sting wants to talk to you. He's on his throne."

"Ok, thanks. Lucy, I'm going to talk to Sting. You can stay here and order something from the bar, if you want. Just put it on my tab." The white haired woman silently wished with all her might that Lucy would agree to stay with Orga. They seemed to get along well enough and Yukino really needed to talk to Sting without Lucy around. They had plans to make.

"Sure." Lucy said with a shrug, noticing Rufus waving at her from his place behind the bar. She could get to know him and Orga since they both seemed to be looking forward to seeing her. It also wouldn't hurt to have a distraction from the disappointment she felt when she noticed Rogue wasn't around.

When she made it over to the bar, Rufus removed his feathered hat and bowed to Lucy in a sweeping fashion as he greeted her. "It's very nice to see you, Miss Heartfilia."

Having the training bred into her, the blonde woman immediately curtsied in return, pulling at the sides of an imaginary dress, "And you as well, Mr. Lore."

When she stood up straight, both of them laughed and fell into a conversation about the similarities of their upbringing. Having both come from high society, there was plenty to talk about as Orga and Lucy seated themselves on barstools in front of Rufus. They quickly realized they knew many of the same people and had actually gone to many of the same social functions, though neither had known of the other until the Grand Magic Games. When they began on the topic of formal dancing, Orga cut in saying, "I heard you're a pretty good dancer but I doubt you're better than me."

Rufus rolled his eyes at the Lightening God Slayer's competitive nature. "Leave her alone, you beast. I highly doubt she wants to participate in one of your dance competitions."

"A dance competition?" Neither of the men missed the excited tone in Lucy's voice.

"Hell yeah. I'm the best singer and dancer in Saber."

Both Lucy and Orga ignored Rufus mumbling, "No one has ever cared enough to dispute that sentiment."

"We'll see about that!" Lucy jumped to her feet, ready to start this dance off. Whether it was a good thing or bad, one habit she'd picked up from being partners with Natsu was to never back down from a challenge. Especially not one you're pretty sure you can win.

Orga jumped up onto the bar top, "Rufus, start my playlist."

Though he rolled his eyes again at the rambunctious man, Rufus proceeded to turn towards the sound system behind the bar and start Orga's music.

"You have a playlist for this?" Lucy asked as she climbed onto the bar to stand next to Orga.

"Yeah, always gotta be prepared."

"He's never had a reason to use it, though. I would have remembered." Lucy laughed at Rufus' snarky comment and waited for the challenge to begin.

When the music started playing, Orga glided backwards doing the moonwalk seemlessly. "I figured I should start off with something small. Wouldn't want to embarrass you, little fairy."

Grinning, Lucy moonwalked her way back to the end of the bartop. "You'll have to do better than that. I bet a big guy like you can't do this."

The dance off went on for awhile with the two mages doing everything they could think of from belly dancing to the robot until they finally finished with a twerk contest. Loud whistling erupted when the blonde woman's skirt rose up enough to show her cheeks to all the guild members that had gathered to watch the show. Both Orga and Lucy called it a draw as they laughed while climbing off the bar.

Leaning against Orga's arm, feeling a little out of breath from all the dancing, the blonde said, "You sure can move for a big guy."

"Yes, he can," Rufus said in a tone that drew Lucy's attention. She didn't miss the little wink Rufus sent Orga's way or the light blush that dusted the green haired man's cheeks.

"Oh! You two? Are you –" Lucy was cut off by Orga's massive hand covering her mouth as he shushed her. Getting the idea, the blonde nodded but was internally squealing. She couldn't keep from whispering, "That's so cute!"

Before she could get lost in Mira-like fantasies, Sting shouted from the other side of the room. "Alright, the show's over. Let's show Lucy how awesome Sabertooth is and why she should ditch Fairy Tail to come join us!"

Cheering went on throughout the room while many of the mages stripped off their clothes to reveal swimsuits underneath. It looked like everyone stayed prepared to spend their day hanging out at the guild hall. This reminded the blonde of Fairy Tail.

Yukino came to stand next to Lucy and asked her, "Do you need to borrow one of my bikinis?"

"No, I can just ask Virgo to bring me one. I'm pretty sure I have one packed."

Once the maid spirit had given Lucy her bikini and a sarong, Yukino showed her to a room in the back of the guild hall where she could change and leave her clothes without worrying about someone messing with them.

The white haired woman hurried back to look for Sting. When she spotted him leaning against a wall, she rushed over and whispered, "Where is Rogue?! This isn't going to work if he doesn't show up!"

"I know that." Sting hissed back to her. He knew just how important it was to get those two speaking to each other again. He'd seen how distant his partner had become and gotten close enough to Lucy to know how much she missed Rogue, even if she never said it out loud.

Their bickering and plotting went on unbeknownst to Lucy while she tied the sarong around her neck, ready to head back. As she made her way back through the hallway leading to the main sitting area, the blonde got the feeling she was being watched. Knowing what it likely meant, she turned around looking for Rogue in the shadows. When she didn't find him anywhere behind her, Lucy turned around to start walking again but stopped in her tracks. Rogue had stepped out of the shadows in front of her. The sight of him took her breath away for a moment, making her forget how to speak.

"Hi, Lucy."

"Hey." The blonde knew she sounded breathless but didn't care. Rogue was actually here in the flesh, just barely out of arm's reach and he was speaking to her.

"I heard you'd be visiting the guild today with Yukino, so I stopped by to see you."

"Really? You came just to see me?"

When Rogue just nodded, Lucy stared at him with her jaw hanging open for a moment before speaking again. "I thought…"

The dragon slayer stepped closer and took Lucy's hand when her voice trailed off. "I know what you thought, but it's not true." He hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to say what he wanted but enjoying the way her small, warm hand felt in his. "I was wrong and not in a good place but want a chance to show you that's not who I am."

A small smile curved Lucy's lips as she quietly said, "Ok."

Rogue smiled – a move that made the blonde's heart flip flop in her chest – and said, "Sounds like they're planning a pool party. Do you want to stay here or go somewhere else?"

"We can leave. I'll be here for a few days and can catch up with them later. I'd rather hang out with you for awhile."

It was Rogue's turn to feel his heart beat wildly in his chest. Looking around them to make sure no one was watching, he said, "If we hurry, we can probably sneak out the back door over there."

Lucy's next words gave the dragon slayer more hope than anything she'd said so far. "Why don't we just sneak out the easy way?"

"You aren't afraid of being in my shadows?"

"Never have been." The blonde closed the distance between them, standing close enough to feel the heat coming off his body. Traveling in the shadows was something they'd done often when he was younger and much shorter, so it felt a little different when he put his arms around her now, but it still felt just as right as it had back then.

Two nosy men at the bar were aware of the entire interaction with Orga listening in and relaying each word to Rufus. Once the couple had disappeared from sight, Rufus asked his partner, "Should we tell our fearless leader and his oblivious love interest that the targets of their matchmaking scheme just snuck out together?"

Orga looked over at Sting and Yukino, who were still in the middle of a debate about the best way to get Lucy and Rogue alone together, and then turned back to Rufus. "Nah. They'll figure it out eventually."

When the shadows faded away, Lucy found herself standing near a street filled with vendors of every kind. Rogue's arms were still around her and she couldn't bring herself to move out of his embrace. Being there, so close to him seemed to be warming parts of her she hadn't realized had gone cold. Moving with him in his shadow form had been as amazing as the blonde remembered. The darkness was cold but welcoming, especially feeling as safe there as she did with her dragon slayer. While they were in that form, she didn't only feel his touch but much more than that, something deeper. It was like she could feel the essence of who he was in her and around her.

Rogue wasn't in a rush to release Lucy but didn't want to draw more attention than he normally did as one of Sabertooth's Twin Dragon Slayers. He let his arms fall away but took her hand in his when he started walking, glad that she didn't pull away. "Are you hungry? There are several good food stands on this street."

"Yeah, I could eat. We didn't have much this morning before leaving the hotel because Yukino was too hung over to handle more than toast."

The dragon slayer snorted in amusement, having been witness to a few of the woman's hangovers. "She doesn't handle alcohol very well."

Conversation carried on easily between the two. Lucy didn't realize she had started walking closer to him with her free hand reaching across her body to rest on his bicep but Rogue noticed right away. He couldn't believe this was happening. It felt so surreal.

"Do you still love curry buns?" He asked as they came near a stand he was familiar with.

Lucy smiled brightly up at him as she said, "Yes! They're still one of my favorite foods. I can't believe you remember that."

Rogue just shrugged, but what he didn't say was that he regularly visited this stand because it reminded him of the time they spent together at the inn. The old man there regularly made curry buns because Lucy loved to eat them so much.

After he paid the stand owner, they walked hand in hand eating their lunch until they made it to the end of the market street. If they continued on, they'd end up in the park maintained by the city. "Were you looking forward to swimming? A river runs through the park ahead and it's a popular place to swim."

The blonde answered excitedly, "Yeah, let's do it! I love to swim. Did you ever learn to do anything more than doggy paddle?"

He tried to keep from blushing but failed, making Lucy laugh at him. "Yes, I learned to swim properly. It's not fair to laugh at those of us who have to learn the hard way when you had a mermaid as a teacher."

Having arrived at the river's edge, Lucy laughed as she untied the knot at the nape of her neck and let the sarong fall to the ground. "Aw, stop pouting. You'll end up with frown lines on that handsome face of yours."

The dragon slayer's blush deepened, though he wasn't sure if was because of her teasing or seeing her bikini clad body up close. He mentally reprimanded himself for acting like a boy again. He was a grown man and shouldn't still be affected by her this way.

When Lucy reached the water, she looked back at Rogue just in time to see him pulling his shirt over his head, leaving him in only his shorts. It took much too long for Lucy's eyes to travel back up to his face after seeing how amazingly chiseled his body was. To her embarrassment, Rogue had seen her staring and was now smirking at the blush on her face. "Might want to close your mouth before you get in the water or you might catch a fish."

The blonde snapped her mouth shut and narrowed her eyes to glare at him. It was the only warning Rogue got before Lucy splashed water on him, starting a water war between them. The battle got rowdy enough to make the kids in the water nearby all drift away to find a safer area to play. Splashing turned into dunking each other, which led to a wrestling match. This went on for awhile until Lucy challenged Rogue to a race swimming to the big rock in the middle of the river. The blonde won but barely. Shamelessly cheating by taking off before the end of the countdown gave her enough of a lead to beat him.

When they had both pulled themselves up onto the large island-like rock, they both laid on their backs to catch their breath. Lucy looked over at Rogue and took in the changes in his face while he laid there with his eyes closed. The years had treated him well. He'd lost the soft look his face had years earlier when he'd been just outside childhood, the harder line of his jaw making him look like a man instead of a boy. His hair hadn't changed much, though. It was about the same length, maybe a little shorter, but definitely much cleaner.

The blonde turned to look at the sky, enjoying the warmth of the stone beneath her skin and the sun shining brightly overhead. The last couple of hours had been amazing. It was as if all the years of hardship had melted away, leaving in place the same closeness the two had shared before being separated.

Lucy turned to look at Rogue after the second time he took a breath as if he were about to speak but didn't say anything. "Is something bothering you?"

Rogue stared at Lucy, unable to form the words he needed to say. He wanted to apologize for how much he'd hated her all the years she'd been gone and for how terribly he'd treated her when they finally saw each. He wanted to tell her he loved her more than life itself and never wanted to be away from her. He wanted to ask her to stay with him and never leave him again, but he didn't know how to even start speaking.

Another beautiful smile took over her expression as Lucy stared back at him. She always understood him, even when he didn't say anything out loud. It was part of what made spending time with her so easy when he was younger. Expressing himself had been even more difficult then, but Lucy always understood.

She put her hand in his, squeezing reassuringly and said, "It's alright, Rogue."

His brow furrowed at that, hating the way that name sounded on her lips. "You don't have to call me that."

When she didn't speak but only raised an eyebrow at him, Rogue said, "I took up that name because I was hiding from who I was and everything I'd lost. I never want you to call me that."

"Ok. I like Ryos better anyway."

Maybe it was the way she smiled at him or the way his true name sounded when she said it in that moment, but Rogue didn't try to resist kissing her. It was the first time their lips had ever met and the feeling was better than he'd ever imagined. His fantasies had been fueled by the only other time he'd felt her lips, the day she kissed his forehead before saying goodbye. This was so much better. He shifted closer to her, pressing his body against hers when she responded eagerly, and let go of her hand in favor of touching her skin.

Lucy deepened the kiss without thought, having wanted to kiss him all afternoon but never sure if she should. His lips were soft against hers and moved in the exact way she always felt a kiss should be, gentle but full of passion. Goosebumps erupted all over her body when his tongue softly caressed hers and his hand drifted from her face to slide down her neck, tracing along her arm.

Neither of them knew how much time passed while they laid together on that rock, enjoying the way it felt to touch and be touched by one another. Eventually, their lips parted but they didn't separate immediately. "How much longer can you stay here before you have to return to Magnolia?"

Her mind was still a little scrambled, so it took Lucy a second before she could come up with a coherent response. "I'm not rushing to get back. I had planned to stay with Yukino for a few more days but my team and Master Makarov know I didn't plan anything definite."

Rogue nodded, glad that he had a little more time before she left him again. He was much more nervous than he should be to ask the question burning in his mind, especially considering he'd just spent enough time kissing her to be nearly dry, but it didn't matter. It was like he was 13 again. "Would it be alright if I took you out tomorrow?"

Lucy smiled, giggling like a young girl, while nodding. She put her hand in his soft hair, pulling his head down to kiss his lips one more time before she said, "We should probably head back before they send out a search party."

"You're probably right." A smirk lifted the corner of Rogue's lips in a way that made Lucy feel a little warm. He was just so handsome when he smiled; always had been. The devious look made sense to the blonde when the dragon slayer said, "I bet you can't beat me this time," and dove into the water to race back to shore.


	8. Chapter 8

**Thank you to everyone that has reviewed! I can't believe how much you guys are liking this story.**

 **I need an opinion... To anyone that has written stories and had to decide between rating it T and M - At what point do you bump it up to M? I have this as T right now because, seriously, there are some hot and heavy movies out there rated PG-13. This story probably won't get more explicit than this chapter is, though this definitely isn't the last of that sort of scene. So, after reading this chapter, does anyone think I should move the rating up? Review or PM me to let me know. Thanks!**

 **Please expect and excuse typos. I tried to catch them all but made way more mistakes than usual with this new, ergonomic keyboard I'm using. It feels weird but is so much more comfortable!**

It didn't go unnoticed by Sting when Rogue and Lucy slipped back into the guild hall, sneaking in from the direction of the back room Yukino had shown Lucy earlier that day. His above average observational skills were part of what made him such an awesome master. Nothing happened at the guild that he wasn't aware of. Like Orga and Rufus. They thought they were so sneaky, but Sting knew the truth.

A quick glance over at Orga showed the god slayer hadn't missed the couple's arrival, either. Sting would let them hide for now, since it would only be a matter of time before they were outed by the green haired giant. Orga could never keep his mouth shut around Rufus, enjoying gossip as much as his not-so-secret lover.

Watching the pair now settled in the shadowy corner Rogue usually haunted, Sting realized they were almost like new people. He hadn't seen his partner looking this relaxed and carefree since they were children, before they had been separated after the death of their dragons. Even Lucy looked different. The smile she directed at Rogue was a little brighter and looked more genuine than any Sting had seen on her.

The White Dragon Slayer was feeling pretty proud of himself for bringing them together again. He felt he deserved a pat on the back, even if things didn't go according to his plan. But when did they ever? Now that Lucy and Rogue were together, Sting would have to see if Lucy could help him out with Yukino. He didn't understand how the woman could be so blind to his affections. Sometimes he wondered if she acted naïve on purpose, but that couldn't be it. No woman in their right mind would pass up the chance to be with the great Sting Eucliffe. He'd just have to talk to Lucy. His newfound sister was close to Yukino, so maybe she could give him some pointers.

While Sting was busy plotting, Lucy and Rogue were enjoying being close in a way they had never been before. Since stepping out of the water in the park, the two had barely stopped touching, only parting long enough for Lucy to change back into her mini shirt and shirt. Even now while sitting at the table in Rogue's corner, his arm was wrapped around her waist with his thumb rubbing small circles on the skin exposed beneath the hem of her shirt. They were quiet, just soaking in the other's presence while waiting to see how long they could sit together in peace.

As expected, it didn't take long for word of their arrival to spread. Orga's loud whispering was overheard by several people, so the news spread like a wild fire. Rogue felt his shadows stir in irritation when he noticed one of the most annoying mages in the guild heading towards their table. He assumed the man had a death wish with the way he constantly tried to get on the dragon slayer's nerves.

The slightly intoxicated smelling man leaned forward with both hands planted on the table and leered at Lucy before giving Rogue a disbelieving look. "Looks like you finally found one willing to be your girlfriend." Turning back to Lucy, the man openly stared at her cleavage before meeting her gaze and adding, "The others couldn't stand him for more than a night. Not sure what you see in a broody one like him."

Rogue's temper flared but he kept a tight hold on his shadows. He knew from experience the overconfident mage would lose interest after being ignored and go away. Lucy seemed to have a different idea, though. The blonde leaned further into Rogue's side and stared up at him with an exaggerated look of infatuation before turning back to speak to the intruder. "I'm his first girlfriend, huh? Well, that's perfect since he's the first guy I've ever called my boyfriend."

"Why waste your time on him when you could have someone like me?" The man gestured to his entire body as if the choice were clear.

Lucy's arms wrapping around his waist kept Rogue from unleashing the shadows building around them and her head against his shoulder cut off the growl building in his chest. "No thanks. I'm good. He's the only one I've ever really wanted, the man of my dream. I highly doubt you could compete."

The dragon slayer only vaguely registered the man making one last insult before walking away as he thought over what she'd just said. Did Lucy really feel that way? Even being unsure of the answer, the idea still made Rogue happier than he thought possible.

Hours passed quickly with guild members coming and going to greet Lucy after they realized their visitor had returned. The earlier pool party had moved fully into the guild hall and been transformed into a karaoke party, complete with Orga's horrible singing. Rogue wasn't sure what to think when the giant talked Lucy into joining him. The dragon slayer knew from experience that Lucy sung nearly as badly as Orga. Maybe it was the alcohol, but the blonde didn't care about how she sounded or looked as she sang and danced on the stage in front of so many strangers. She was having fun, way more fun than she'd had in a really long time, and didn't want it to end.

When Rufus closed down the bar for the night, most of the mages started making their way out of the guild to wherever they would continue partying. Several of them invited Lucy along, she'd always been a social butterfly and made friends easily, but she turned them down. The blonde was tired after staying out late the night before with Yukino and Loke, waking up early, and then running around all day with Ryos. Plus, she doubted he was a partier and didn't want to be away from him for long after having only just been reunited.

It was an odd moment for Lucy when she realized only 24 hours earlier her life had felt completely different. This day had brought a whirlwind of emotions and changes that gave the blonde hope for the future for the first time since she started struggling with her sanity so long ago.

"Why did you get so quiet?" Rogue asked when he realized Lucy hadn't spoken in awhile and seemed to be deep in thought. She had been in an animated conversation only a few minutes ago with Yukino and Sting when the two joined them at their table, but was quiet now.

"Nothing, really. Just thinking about things."

"Good things?"

"Definitely." When Lucy smiled up at him like she was in that moment, it made Rogue's chest uncomfortably tight, but in a good way. Like he might burst if she didn't look away soon.

Sting's obnoxious voice ruined the moment. "Ok, love birds. That's enough with the gushy stuff. We gotta leave so they can close down the guild hall." Turning to look at Yukino, he asked, "Will you be alright to get to your apartment with Lucy?"

"I'm sure we'll be fine." "I'll go with them."

Yukino and Rogue spoke at the same time, which was weird to Sting. Rogue never cared about making sure anyone got anywhere safely. It must be about Lucy. He shrugged and said, "Well, I guess we can just all go together. I'm not in a rush to get home anyway."

As they walked out of the guild hall and down the two blocks to Yukino's apartment, Sting paid close attention to Rogue, trying to figure out why the guy got so worked up about the girls walking such a short distance. His twin seemed to become more agitated with each step, losing the relaxed aura he'd had all afternoon. It was kind of annoying when Sting thought about how possessive Rogue was acting. Did he really think she'd leave or just disappear? The blonde man suddenly realized that was exactly what Rogue's problem was and felt as dense as Lucy always accused him of being for taking so long to figure it out. Of course that's what Rogue was afraid of. He did kind of have a good reason for it.

When the girls waved goodnight and went inside Yukino's first floor apartment, Sting turned to Rogue. "You gotta get it together, man. She's not going anywhere tonight. You'll wake up tomorrow and she'll still be right here where you left her."

"I know that." Rogue snapped, no longer bothering to hide his building irritation. The voices of his darkest shadows had been whispering to him for several minutes, reminding him of the last time he'd said goodbye to Lucy. He'd suffered through so many years without her, never realizing how deeply he'd fallen into his darkness until she'd brought him back to the light. Rogue never wanted to experience that again.

"Hey," Sting's hand on his shoulder ended Rogue's thoughts. "It'll be alright."

Knowing he couldn't do anything more to help his brother out, Sting turned to leave and let Rogue get through this on his own. The guy would probably stand out here all night just to make sure nothing happened.

Rogue stood there for what felt like hours, a feeling he assumed was fairly accurate, listening to Lucy and Yukino talk. His blonde mate didn't leave out many details of their afternoon together, something he was equally proud of and embarrassed by. She described kissing him in a way that made him wish he could be right there next to her so he could kiss her again. Yukino's girlish squealing dampened the feeling, though.

Eventually, both women went their separate ways for the night. He hadn't known until that evening that Yukino's apartment had two bedrooms, having never really socialized with his guildmates. Sting's scent all over the place let Rogue know his twin had been here often, though.

When the apartment became completely quiet, Rogue moved to hide in the shadows near the window of the room Lucy slept in. Her light breathing comforted him, reminding him she was still in there and hadn't disappeared again. The dragon slayer knew he was behaving oddly and was slightly disappointed with himself, but he ignored all of that in favor of just listening to Lucy breathe.

At some point, the blonde must have rolled over or pulled the pillow over her face because Rogue could barely hear her anymore. The panic he felt hit immediately and it hit him hard. Voices in his mind taunted him, telling him she was gone and he should recede back into the darkness where it was safe with them. He wouldn't give in, he couldn't. So, Rogue did the only thing he knew he could do to remind himself she was really still in there.

Sliding in through the tiny crack beneath the seal of the window wasn't hard in his shadow form. Rogue reemerged in the darkest corner of the room where Lucy slept and just stared at the lump that was her body in the bed. Seeing her long, blonde hair spilling out from beneath the pillow covering her head calmed his racing heart and quieted the voices in his mind. Even with her face covered, the dragon slayer could now hear her breathing more clearly.

Now that his panic had eased, Rogue was feeling like a complete stalker. Why in the world was he hiding in her room, staring at her while she slept? If Sting saw him now, he'd never let Rogue live it down. This was probably the lowest of lows for him. It was unacceptable of him to act this way.

The dragon slayer had just begun gliding towards the window to escape when Lucy started to stir, making him freeze in place. Moving drowsily, the blonde pulled the pillow off and sat up to look around. It was easy to see with the annoying street light shining so brightly through the window. She was glad to realize her instincts weren't wrong when she saw Rogue hiding in a shadow.

A sleepy smile tugged at her lips as she said, "Hey, weirdo. Can't sleep?" When he only shook his head in response, she went on, "Well, quit acting like a creeper and come here."

Lucy pulled back the blankets, motioning for Rogue to join her. "It'll be just like the good ol' days when you used to sneak into my bed when you had a nightmare. But this time you don't have to keep a pillow between us."

Though he was embarrassed at the reminder of his once childish behavior, Rogue immediately stepped out of the shadow and kicked off his shoes before joining her in the bed. She didn't resist when he put his arms around her to pull her against him with her head tucked under his chin. The dragon slayer was glad she said to leave the pillow out of the way. It had been appropriate when they stayed together at the inn but this was much more comforting. Feeling her body against his erased the lingering doubts in his mind.

Lucy wiggled until she could pull one of her arms free and laid it over Rogue's arm so she could reach up to play with his hair. She started weaving her fingers through it, playing with the silky, soft strands exactly like she used to when they were younger. Well, he was a lot younger. With a soft sigh, she said, "This is nice, much better than before. Now I don't have to worry about feeling like I might be a creepy pedophile."

Her horrible joke made him laugh quietly, which made her laugh in turn. When they were quiet again, Lucy pressed her lips to his skin and whispered, "Goodnight."

The blonde was asleep again almost instantly, but Rogue laid there for awhile trying to stay awake. He wanted to enjoy this feeling as long as possible. Her fingers had stopped moving rhythmically through his hair but still occasionally twitched against his scalp, as if she felt his need for comfort even while asleep. Lucy was here, she was real, and he wasn't going to lose her again. With the tension in his chest completely eased, the dragon slayer let himself be lulled into a deep sleep by the sound of her breath moving in and out of her lungs and her heart beating slowly in her chest.

Morning came quickly, the sun waking Rogue before Lucy. He lay still in the bed, not wanting to disturb her while she slept a little while longer. Though they both had shifted during the night, their legs were still tangled together and his arm was wrapped around her body while her head was resting on his shoulder with one hand on his chest. It was an excellent way to start the day, in his opinion.

The sweet moment was ruined when Yukino opened the door and a shrill squeaking noise escaped her. Rogue couldn't believe he didn't hear her coming, but assumed he must have been too distracted by Lucy, who was now awake and looking around confusedly. The white haired woman apologized over and over, hiding her face in her hands. "I had no idea you were here! This is so embarrassing."

Lucy sat up, still groggy from having woken suddenly from a deep sleep. "Don't worry about it, Yuki. We were just sleeping."

"I'm just going to go and uh, um, start some coffee." Yukino scurried out of the room with a bright blush on her face and closed the door behind her.

Plopping back onto the bed, Lucy said, "Well, now I'm wide awake. I wonder why she acted like a blushing virgin."

"Probably because she is."

Lucy stared at Rogue in disbelief. "No way! I just assumed she and Sting had something going on with the way they act around each other. Are you telling me they aren't together?"

Rogue nodded, which sent Lucy's mind running with possibilities. She had to help her fellow Celestial Mage out with that. The blonde couldn't believe those two had been in a guild together for so long and were still dancing around each other.

Throwing back the covers and standing from the bed, Lucy stretched her body until her back popped. She missed the way his eyes traveled over her body taking in the way her thin top did nothing to hide her curves and the panties she slept in barely covered her ass. How had he not noticed how little she was wearing last night? Rogue looked away from her just in time for Lucy to miss his ogling when she turned and said, "I'm going to hop in the shower. My hair still stinks like river water."

"Mine does as well. I'll need to leave so I can shower…" Though he didn't finish the thought, Lucy heard the unspoken end of that sentence 'but I don't want to go without you.'

"You probably have spare clothes at the guild, right? If you want, we can head over there when I'm done so you can use the showers before anyone else get there."

Rogue nodded and a small knot of insecurity unwound itself in him. Lucy wasn't bothered by his fear of leaving her side. What he didn't know was that she felt the same way. Fear of losing Ryos again was what kept Lucy from sleeping well before he'd been next to her and why she was so aware of his presence in the room.

Hearing the arrival of another person to the apartment, Rogue said, "It sounds like Sting is here. I'll go see what he wants since he's probably looking for me."

It didn't take Rogue long to find the kitchen even though he'd never been in the apartment. Sting was already seated at Yukino's table with a cup of coffee in his hand next to what appeared to be Rogue's usual long sleeved shirt and pants along with his preferred soap.

With a nod towards the pile, Sting said, "Figured you didn't make it home last night and you'd be wanting a shower." His nose crinkled a little before the blonde man went on, "Yeah, you definitely need one. You stink."

Rogue rolled his eyes but still sat next to his partner and accepted coffee from Yukino with a nod. Looking at Sting, he said, "Thanks."

"Eh," the other slayer shrugged, "that's what brothers do."

When the shower turned off, Rogue waited long enough for Lucy to finish dressing and then stood from his seat at the table with his clothes and soap in hand. Just as he was about to knock on the bathroom door, Lucy opened it and jumped in surprise. "Oh, Ryos! I didn't know you were standing there. Being a creep again?"

Her teasing smile, the smell of her freshly cleaned skin still warm from the shower, and the way water dripped from her wet hair onto her exposed skin overwhelmed his senses. And the way she said his name so casually. It did something to Rogue. He stepped into the bathroom, which forced Lucy to take a step backwards, and closed the door behind him while dropping his things on the counter.

"Ryos?" Lucy asked, slightly confused by his actions. The sound of his name on her lips brought a hunger to his eyes that Lucy recognized. She needed him, too.

Stepping closer to him, the blonde put her arms around his neck and pressed her body fully against his as he leaned down to meet her lips. His hands roamed over her waist and hips, thrilling him with the way her curves felt beneath his fingers. An entirely different sort of ache built in Lucy, one she was familiar with but had never felt quite to this extreme.

Reaching down beneath her hips to lift his mate, Rogue set her down on the countertop and she immediately wrapped her legs around him, pulling him tightly against her. The heat of her core was warm through his thin clothes, making him shudder slightly. He broke away from their kiss to work down her neck, licking and sucking as he went, while his hands traveled beneath her shirt. Just as he was about to cup her breasts, loud banging on the door made them both jump. Sting's annoying voice was like cold water dumped on the couple. "Hey, Yukino just finished making breakfast. Hurry up."

A disappointed huff left Lucy's lips as she let her head fall against Ryos' chest. She felt him rest his head against the top of hers as she said, "I guess I should go out there."

He nodded but stopped her from leaving right away when she hopped off the counter, pulling her in for one more kiss. Lucy felt like electricity was coursing through her body by the time he let her go.

Just before she stepped out of the bathroom, Rogue asked, "Can we go somewhere together this morning?"

"Sure. Where do you want to go?"

"It's a surprise, but you'll probably figure it out before we get there."

The blonde looked down at her outfit for the day, wondering if tiny denim shorts and a tank top were appropriate attire. Before she could even ask, Rogue said, "What you're wearing is fine."

With a beaming smile, Lucy left the bathroom to join a disgusted looking Sting and completely oblivious Yukino in the kitchen. The white haired woman asked, "Was the shower alright? I was afraid the hot water might run out. Seems to happen often in this building."

"Oh, the shower was great. Definitely hot enough."

Sting snorted loudly before adding, "Yeah, I bet it was."


	9. Chapter 9

**The final chapter is here! I'm sad to see it come but I never meant for this story to be a long one. In case you didn't notice, the rating has been bumped up to M. I wasn't planning on writing anything steamy but it just worked out that way. Let me know what you think about that scene - if it's good, cringy, or just all out terrible.**

 **I'd love to hear from you in a review or PM about what you thought of the story as a whole. Much love to all of you, especially those who have reviewed, favorited, and followed. Your feedback has been amazing.**

 **Oh, and PS - - To anyone that was hoping this would turn into a GaLu, there's hope for you. I've already started writing a new story with that pairing. Full disclosure, I wrote the first couple of chapters for that story to put off ending this one, which is why this update didn't happen earlier this week. It'll be posted today or tomorrow.**

"Maybe we could work out some sort of deal if you tell me."

As they walked to the train station hand in hand, Rogue shot down another of Lucy's attempts to figure out where they were going. "Bribing me isn't going to work, either."

"Oh, come on!" The blonde protested and stomped her foot. "You didn't even let me get to the good part and explain what I was going to offer."

"Did you even have anything in mind or were you just hoping I'd give in without knowing?"

Lucy narrowed her eyes at him, hoping her expression looked more like a glare and not like she was fighting off the urge to laugh. "Stop knowing me so well."

Rogue shrugged and smiled down at her while pulling his hand out of hers to wrap his arm around her waist while they waited to board the train. He couldn't seem to get enough of touching her. When his thumb brushed beneath the hem of her shirt and she didn't object, he decided to push his luck and slide his entire hand under the fabric to feel her tight, smooth stomach. The feeling of her soft curves pressed into his body and smooth skin beneath his fingertips was exciting him in a way he was trying to ignore. He didn't want to rush things with Lucy, she was much too special to be treated like a one night stand, but their earlier activities had his mind headed in the wrong direction.

The sound of the train attendant's announcement that passengers could begin boarding broke the dark haired man from his dirty thoughts and he let his, hopefully, soon to be lover out of his grasp to board. His eyes stayed glued to Lucy's body as she walked, taking in the way her hips swayed sensually with each step of her long, lean legs. The man was so captivated by her that he barely registered her movement stopping in time to keep from knocking her over.

"You want to sit here? I don't think anyone else will come this far back and I doubt you want to be surrounded by people when your motion sickness kicks in."

Reminded of his weakness, Rogue groaned under his breath and nodded as he took a seat. He didn't expect Lucy to sit as close as she did. Not that he expected her to sit far away, but he didn't think she'd sit so close that her bare thigh touched his and then lean against him slightly, giving him a perfect view of her cleavage even out of the corner of his eye. How the hell was he going to make it through an entire day like this? He felt like a hormonal teenager again.

He didn't realize his hand had migrated to touching the leg closest to him, the pad of his thumb making small circles on her inner thigh. It wasn't until she moaned lightly and started talking that he jerked his hand back to his lap. "You're going to have to stop touching me like this or we're going to put on a show for the other passengers. I already feel like I've been sitting on a fountain."

The mental image that came to mind with those words wasn't helping the dark haired man at all, but he was saved by the train beginning its journey. All sexual thoughts fled his mind instantly when the debilitating nausea kicked in. Lucy scooted a little further from Rogue and patted her lap saying, "Here, lay down in my lap and I'll rub your scalp. It might help."

Doing as instructed, Rogue settled with his face pressed to her stomach and legs stretched across the bench. "Any better?"

He nodded, unable to speak without vomiting his breakfast all over her lap. The dragon slayer inhaled deeply, taking in her relaxing scent and trying to ignore how wonderful she smelled while aroused. It wasn't something he could do anything about right now, so he'd just have to enjoy lying here against her.

Lucy leaned her head back and hummed to herself as she enjoyed the way Ryos' hair felt in her hands. It was such a simple thing, running her fingers through his hair like this, but doing it made her feel connected to him again, almost like she hadn't lost out on so much time with him. The blonde quickly shoved away the depressing thoughts of what things could have been like if they'd never lost touch, knowing it was dangerous to think of such things. Dwelling on possibilities that were impossibly out of reach wouldn't help anything.

Instead, she focused on figuring out where they were headed. She wasn't certain, but Lucy had a fairly good idea of where Ryos wanted to go with her that morning. The only thing he'd said during her interrogation was that this wasn't part of their date and he still planned to take her out properly later that evening. So, that meant this wasn't meant to be romantic and simply something he wanted them to do together.

Close to two hours later, the train stopped and Lucy's nauseated lap warmer sat up slowly as he said, "This is where we get off."

Rogue looked at her and knew from the brilliant smile on her face that Lucy knew exactly where they were and where they were going. "I haven't been here in a long time."

The couple departed the train and made their way through the town where they'd met so many years ago. Both recognized the sound of pigeons squawking in the distance and knew right away they were loose. Seemed like some things never changed. They talked and laughed about jobs they'd done at the time, marveling at how much they'd both grown since then.

"Remember the time we were helping that guy catch fish in the pond behind his house and I dropped Aquarius' key in the water?"

Rogue laughed openly, unable to contain the sound at the memory of coming so close to death. "How could I forget? I almost drowned that day. I still think she felt sorry for me when she realized I could barely swim and pushed me back to dry land. She didn't seem to mind leaving you out in the middle of the whirlpool she'd created."

Lucy laughed along with him, "Yeah, she probably did. Aquarius has a temper but she really does have a good heart. She didn't actually want us dead. Well, not you anyway."

They were still chuckling lightly as they entered the inn they'd stayed at so long ago. Not much had changed in the time they'd spent away, just the carpeting had been updated and walls repainted. The same old man sat behind the desk, though he looked much older now. Lucy felt a little guilty that she couldn't remember the man's name; she'd just always called him Grandpa.

The elderly man stood up from his seat when he saw the pair come inside, though he moved slower than they remembered. His wrinkled face split into a huge grin when he recognized them. "Well, I'll be darned. I always wondered what happened to the two of you. Ya look so grown up now! Turned out nicely, a big fella. And look at that! You're holdin' her hand! Good for you, boy."

Rogue couldn't hold down the blush that crept onto his cheeks as the old man praised him and patted his back. Lucy noticed and just giggled lightly, not denying the man a hug when he reached for her. With his hands on each side of her face, he gasped and said, "You've hardly aged a day. It's true, isn't it? You were one of the lost Fairy Tail mages?"

Lucy nodded, her smile losing a bit of its light at the reminder. "Yeah. We were gone for seven years. I came by once right after we got back but you weren't here." She left out how she'd wanted so desperately to find Ryos and had sat on their bench for hours wallowing in heartache. That was the day she'd realized what she was to him but had no idea where to begin looking for him.

Noticing the sadness now showing in the young woman's eyes, the old man lightened the tone of the conversation. Turning to the dark haired boy whose name he'd somehow forgotten, the elderly man asked, "So, are ya gonna marry her now or what?"

Rogue's eyes nearly bulged out of his head and Lucy laughed at the reaction. He seemed unable to form any words, so Lucy helped him out. "We've only just recently been reunited but we'll see how it goes. I wouldn't mind keeping him around, though."

Chuckling at the reaction he got, the man waggled a knobby finger at Rogue as he said, "Alright, but you better not wait too long. Somebody'll come along and snatch up a pretty one like this. And I better get an invitation."

Not knowing what else to say, Rogue just nodded and said, "Of course."

His answer pulled another giggle from Lucy, making Rogue realize what he'd just agreed to. He didn't think he'd ever stop blushing after this.

The three of them sat at a table behind the desk and sipped on tea as they caught up on major events since the last time they'd spoken. Not much had changed in the small town, but the old man was happy to hear about the young mages' accomplishments. They'd both looked so lost and alone all those years ago when they stayed in his inn, but now they were both well established mages in powerful guilds. He couldn't have been more proud of his surrogate grand children.

With more hugs and promises to return soon, the couple left and made their way through town until they made it to the park where they'd met. They sat together on the weathered bench in silence, both lost in memories of the past. Lucy was surprised when Ryos spoke first.

"I haven't been here since just after the Magic Council announced the lost mages to be presumed dead and called off all future search efforts. Before that, I came here regularly hoping I'd find you or some small trace your scent to let me know you'd come back." When he turned to look at her, the haunted look in his eyes nearly broke Lucy's heart. "By that point, just over two years had passed since the last time I'd seen you. Each day it was harder and harder to control the dragon in me. During that time, I realized what you were to me and prayed everyday to any gods out there that you'd be returned to me, but you never came. The last day I came here and still didn't find any signs of you, I left all my hopes here and turned my back on who I was. It wasn't until finding out you almost died on the streets of Crocus that I realized how dark I'd become."

Tears flowed freely down Lucy's cheeks as she listened to Ryos' story. She knew things had to have been hard for him, but everything he said combined with everything she knew he didn't say made her heart ache that much more for him. The pain she'd endured paled in comparison to what he'd gone through.

"I came here once when we returned, just like I told Gramps. What I didn't tell him, though, was that day I realized I was your mate. It was strange to realize, but it made so much sense. I already knew all about what mates were since I was Natsu's partner and the idea excited me more than it frightened me, but I had no idea how to find you." The blonde turned away from him at this point, unable to look him in the eyes as she continued. Though she only did what she had to do to survive, Lucy still felt a bit of guilt about how things had gone.

"Life went on as if I wasn't dying a little each day. I only survived because Gajeel's magic somehow calmed the chaos of your magic created inside me. He explained some of it to me and was surprised I hadn't lost my mind during the time we spent apart, but he helped me without question. Before that, I'd thought he was just a cruel, heartless man, but now I know why you always looked up to him."

Rogue nodded, unsure of what to say. He'd known Gajeel kept Lucy alive and he should be thankful to the other man for that, but he couldn't completely quench the jealousy that crept into his heart as he listened to her speak, not missing the fact that she cared for his former mentor. The dragon in him paced restlessly, urging him to mark her as his own so no one else could take her from him, but Rogue stopped those thoughts from progressing. He'd done his share of horrible things to survive their time apart and refused to hold this against Lucy. Regardless of his feelings on the matter, the fact remained that if she hadn't gone to Gajeel, she would have died and they never would have been reunited.

His possessiveness calmed slightly when Lucy leaned to rest her head against his shoulder. Rogue wrapped his arm around her petite form and pulled her fully against him, ignoring the tears he felt wetting his shirt. The dragon slayer wrapped his other arm around his mate and held her tightly, comforting her as much as himself. She was here, this was real, and they were going to stay together this time.

When her tears stopped and her breathing was calm again, Rogue spoke without removing his face from her hair. He wasn't quit brave enough to ask this while looking at her. "Did you really mean what you said earlier?"

Confused by the question, Lucy tried to move to look at Ryos but couldn't when his arms tightened around her. "Which part?"

"What you said to Jiji earlier."

The blonde paused as she tried to figure out what he meant but her mind was still a mess from their conversation. When it finally hit her, Lucy laughed quietly, the sound a little off after so much crying. "You mean when he asked if we were getting married?"

She felt him nod hesitantly against her and laughed a little more. "Yes, Ryos, I meant every word of it. I'm not letting you go again. We'll have some things to figure out since we're in different guilds but I'm not going to let that get in the way of being with you."

Rogue felt like a weight lifted with each word she spoke, freeing him from a fear he was carrying. He didn't try to fight the urge to kiss his mate and pull her into his lap. The taste of her on his tongue while she straddled his body and eagerly returned the kiss ignited the passion he felt for his mate. He couldn't resist pressing his arousal into her heat and growled lowly when she responded by grinding her core against him.

They broke apart breathlessly, both feeling overheated from the intensity. Rogue's voice was husky as he spoke, "We have to go if we're going to make the last train back."

Lucy nodded but didn't move right away, her body begging her to finish what they'd started. After taking a few deep breaths, the blonde felt composed enough to stand, but took hold of Ryos' hand as soon as he was standing next to her. They made their way to the train station in silence, both resisting the desire to pull the other into a dark alley to continue their explorations.

When they were seated on the train, the pair found themselves in the same position they had been on the bench. Lucy's body felt like it could melt into a puddle at any moment with the way Ryos was running his hands over her bare legs and up into her shirt to cup her breasts. The way he rolled his thumb over her barely clad nipple made her shudder and press her center more firmly against his length.

Rogue tipped his head back at the action, hissing under his breath. If only she'd been wearing a skirt, he could just slip beneath it and find relief in the heat he could feel even through her denim shorts. As Lucy made her way down the column of his neck teasing him with her mouth, he strongly considered simply ripping the denim apart and taking her there on the bench. But then the train moved.

All their activities stopped immediately as Rogue fell victim to the vehicle's relentless torture. Lucy sat next to him and sighed in disappointment as he resumed his earlier place in her lap. Embarrassed by the wetness between her legs, the blonde mumbled, "Maybe I should ask Virgo to bring me some dry panties."

She was surprised when her lap warmer grunted and shook his head. He used his nose to nudge her shirt out of the way and inhaled deeply against her skin. Quietly, he muttered, "You smell even better now."

Blushing brightly, the blonde flicked his ear and said, "You're such a perv."

"Maybe," he said while grinning against her stomach. "You like it, though."

Lucy rolled her eyes as she began massaging his scalp like she'd done on the earlier trip and tried to ease her embarrassment by reminding herself that he liked her arousal.

It was early evening by the time the couple made their way off the train again. Lucy wasn't sure how determined Ryos was to take her on a date that night, but she was feeling a little too tired to go through the trouble of getting dressed up and going out. He must have read her mind because he said, "We can go out tomorrow, if you'd like. We could just pick up something to eat and I can show you the house I've been working on."

"I thought you lived with Sting."

Rogue realized Lucy would be the first person he told about his house. Even his partner didn't know about it. "Essentially, I do. I haven't actually moved out, but I also haven't spent much time there in the past few weeks."

The dark haired man considered keeping the next part to himself, but decided she needed to know. He would just have to suffer through the embarrassment of blushing the entire time he spoke. "After the games, I knew I wanted to be with you but also realized I wasn't a suitable mate. I found and bought a home that needed some work and spent most of my time putting all my energy into that while trying to sort through the bit of madness my mind had succumbed to in the past few years. Most of the home's issues were things I was able to fix myself but I hired civilians for anything I couldn't do."

Lucy smiled at that, unable to contain the happiness she felt at knowing he had planned to come to her. Even though they'd been brought together unexpectedly by her arrival at the Sabertooth guild, it still would have happened eventually when Ryos was ready for her.

The rest of their walk to a restaurant Rogue suggested was quiet, neither feeling the need to fill the silence with unnecessary conversation. They placed a to-go order with the hostess and sat in the waiting area while their food was prepared.

A few minutes into the wait, Lucy realized a pair of women sitting within her line of sight was watching them. More specifically, they were watching Ryos. Their whispering and girlish giggling irritated the blonde, awakening intense, possessive jealousy unlike any she'd ever felt.

Rogue noticed the change in Lucy's demeanor and asked, "Is something the matter?"

Inclining her head in the direction of the women, she asked, "Is that something I should know about?"

He didn't have to look up to know who Lucy was referring to and felt a familiar twinge of regret at his past behavior. Without looking away from his mate, he answered, "They're no one important."

"Looks like they think otherwise." Lucy grumbled. She remained irritated during the last few minutes of their wait, barely managing not to cause a scene with the other women. Couldn't they see she and Ryos were together? Did they have any tact? Probably not, she thought to herself, they didn't look like the type.

As they walked away from the restaurant and Lucy's antagonists, the blonde realized she was being a hypocrite. She'd done her share of unsavory things in the time she spent trying to fill the void left by Ryos' absence. He had barely even reacted to her telling him about Gajeel, and yet here she was ready to snap over two women that were clearly the type to throw themselves at anything remotely attractive with a functioning penis.

"It's alright. I understand." Rogue looked over at Lucy when she spoke, wondering if she meant what he thought. He'd sensed the sudden change in her mood, though didn't expect her to say anything. He definitely didn't expect her to be understanding when she began speaking again. "I went through a time of looking for anyone or anything to fill the aching void I carried around constantly. I can't imagine what it was like for you to endure the same thing for so much longer than I had to. No one ever came close to filling the gap, though. Not until now."

Lucy looked at her mate and smiled sweetly at him. "Want to get there the fast way? I don't really feel like walking after we already spent all day doing it. Besides, you can always show me the way tomorrow morning when we leave."

Rogue watched Lucy for a moment before responding, wondering if she meant to imply she intended to stay the night with him. There was no way he could spend another night with her without claiming her. The mischievous look in her eye gave her away, and Rogue realized Lucy knew exactly what she was saying. The dragon slayer pulled her in close and kissed her lips once before pulling them both into the shadows.

When they surfaced outside the front door of a house, Lucy noticed the familiar tingle of Ryos' magic circulating through her body. The blonde realized she'd felt it ever since leaving the guildhall with him in his shadow form the day before and briefly wondered if that's how she'd ended up with so much of his magic in her before. They traveled that way regularly in the months they spent together before she disappeared. The thought didn't concern her, though. She had no intention of getting far enough away from him to begin suffering again.

Suddenly nervous, Rogue didn't open the door immediately. He wanted this to be their home, but what if she didn't like it? He knew, logically, Lucy wasn't going to be unhappy with it and would likely want to help complete it, but it didn't stop him from feeling unsure.

"I like the door. I've always loved red front doors." Her comment gave him the courage to open the door and pull her inside.

Lucy stepped in and looked around. The front room was empty, save a table and chair Ryos likely used to eat. It was bare but nice. The walls were obviously freshly painted in a welcoming, warm tone but the trim hadn't been finished. One of the walls had a large window-like opening that revealed a very nice looking kitchen on the other side. She found herself moving further into the house without prompting to explore it further.

The beginnings of a hallway opened first to the kitchen. This room appeared to be completely finished. The countertops were perfectly polished dark granite and the cabinets were stained a deep brown that completed the look. Each of the appliances was new and the tiles on the floor looked recently laid. "This is amazing."

Rogue set the bag of takeout on the counter and closed the distance between them to wrap his arms around Lucy's waist from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and said, "I'm glad you like it. I know how much you like to cook, so I thought it would be important to make sure this room was finished."

Pointing ahead towards a door, he added, "That door there leads to the back porch, but it isn't finished. If you walked out the door, you'd just drop straight to the ground."

Lucy laughed lightly at the thought as she stepped out of his embrace to keep moving through the house. Back in the hallway, she passed two doors that opened to empty rooms that had been painted but were in need of carpeting. Opposite of the rooms was a decent sized bathroom, but she was a little disappointed to see a normal sized bathtub instead of one like what she had in her apartment.

Tugging the blonde's hand to keep her moving, Rogue said, "Come on, you're not done yet."

Excited to see what else he'd done to the place, she followed him eagerly to the last door in the hall. She stepped through it into the most beautiful bedroom she'd ever seen. The walls were done in a neutral gray that blended well with the rest of the room. A large bed was in the center covered in a comforter the same deep shade of blue as the night sky during the summer. Light colored wood furniture offset the dark tone of the bed and the oversized chair in the corner would be perfect for reading. Breathing in deeply, Lucy realized he had the exact same candles she kept in her own bedroom in Magnolia. "I love those candles."

The smile that came to Ryos' face when she spoke made her heart flutter a little. He was so handsome and his smile made her melt a little where she stood. "I thought you'd like those. You haven't looked up yet."

Wondering what he meant, Lucy looked up and gasped when she saw a massive skylight just above the bed. The sun had set enough that she could see the stars beginning to light the night sky. Her mind was blown knowing she'd be sleeping in a place she could see the stars, the source of her magic, so clearly every night. When she felt another tug at her hand, the astounded woman asked breathlessly, "There's more?"

With the same smile still plastered on his face, Rogue nodded and pulled his mate into the bathroom he knew she'd love. Her squeal of excitement didn't disappoint him when he turned on the lights and she saw the massive tub he'd had installed.

"I think I might faint, or maybe just combust right here." Lucy stepped forward and ran her hand along the tub as if it were an altar she might worship at. "I can't wait to get in it."

Rogue had to force his imagination to stop giving him images of exactly what that would look like. He was already struggling having her in his bedroom, the bedroom he hoped they'd be sharing after tonight, after so many sexually charged encounters that day.

When Lucy turned back to look at him, he could tell she had the same thing on her mind. She wasn't holding back, though. The blonde put her arms around his neck and pulled Rogue into a hungry kiss.

Lucy poured all of her gratitude, love, and desire into her actions, hoping he understood. He was everything she'd ever wanted and had now become a man she could trust to take care of her until the last breath they shared on this planet. She would never let anything separate them again.

Rogue's own actions were a mix of desperation and hunger. He'd waited for this moment for so long, needed this woman to be his. The heat of her body seemed to set his on fire and the way she moved against him made him want to rid them both of their clothes to see exactly what it felt like to be inside of her. But he couldn't do that here. He wouldn't take her for the first time on the bathroom floor.

A moment of clarity had Rogue breaking the kiss to ask about the one thing he needed to be sure of. "Are you sure you want to be my mate? We can't go back after this. I highly doubt I'll be able to be more than a very small distance away from you for quite some time."

Lucy smiled up at Ryos, her heart warming at how considerate he was being. "I've never been more certain of anything in my life. It isn't like we met yesterday. I feel like I've known you my entire life. This connection we share is so much deeper than what could have formed in the few months we spent together years ago and then two days getting reacquainted. You're part of my soul and I'm part of yours. I was made for you. There was never any going back for me. You've been my mate all along, even when I didn't know it."

Rogue stared at Lucy as she walked seductively out of the bathroom and over to the bed, crawling onto it as she looked back at him and said, "You want to help me out of these clothes or should I do it myself?"

Moving faster than she expected, Rogue joined his mate on the bed and immediately reached for her tank top. Once it was out of the way, his tongue and hands were busy exploring the exposed skin while her hands worked to undo the buttons on his shirt. When his chiseled abdomen and chest were beneath her hands, Lucy moaned out, "Take it off. I want to feel your skin against mine."

Obeying her command, Rogue didn't bother unfastening the bra from beneath her back and just ripped it down the middle. He watched with rapt attention as her breasts bounced slightly when they were freed and didn't waste time to find out how they tasted. The blonde moaned loudly when his tongue made contact with her pebbled nipples and worked his shirt the rest of the way down his arms.

When his shirt was off, she reached between them and cupped his hardened length, loving how it felt in her hand. Her actions brought a groan from Rogue as he bucked against her hand. He had wanted to take the time to explore her body properly on their first time together but he couldn't wait. He'd already waited so long and been teased all day.

Pushing himself up onto his knees, Rogue loosened his belt and opened the buckle of his pants to quickly shove them off while Lucy rid herself of her shorts and panties. When she was fully bared before him, the dark haired man took a moment to really admire his mate. She was beautiful, especially spread for him like this just waiting to be taken.

He placed his hands on her knees, sliding them up towards her center as he leaned forward to place a kiss against her clit. Lucy shivered at the action, her body already highly sensitive with the way he'd been working it. Rogue gave her opening one long lick before kissing his way further up her body, pausing at her breasts to enjoy them again. "I'll explore you more later."

Lucy rolled her hips in encouragement when she felt his arousal pressed against her, moving back and forth as he coated himself in her wetness. "Please, Ryos, I need you."

Her pleading broke the last of his restraint and he slammed home in one swift movement. Lucy cried out at the sudden intrusion, the feeling a mixture of pleasure and pain. He waited until her body had accepted him, knowing she had to stretch to accommodate his size, and then started rocking his hips. His mate met him thrust for thrust, rolling her hips in rhythm with his movements. Her channel was so tight that it felt like it had been made for him to fill.

Rogue increased his pace, loving the way Lucy responded to his every touch. He sucked on her neck, uncaring of the marks he left in his wake. She was his and he wanted everyone to know it. The way she turned her head to the side baring her neck to him reassured him she felt the same. Her breathing and heart rate became more erratic as she began to flutter around his shaft, signaling her coming orgasm. When his dragon instincts pressed him to mark her, he didn't resist. His fangs sunk into the flesh of her shoulder just as she peaked, her cry of pleasure urging the slayer on.

As she crested and came back down, Rogue pulled away with the taste of her blood on his tongue. His movements slowed slightly as he took in the sight of his mark on her. Lucy wasn't done, though. With an experienced maneuver, she reversed their position and began to ride him in earnest, driven by something she didn't understand. She couldn't explain the desire she felt building within her, it was unlike anything she'd ever felt before.

Her body was alight with power she felt coming from where Ryos had marked her, her own magic stirring in response. His hands running along her thighs and hips up to cup and squeeze her breasts brought her dangerously close to coming again, but she wasn't ready. The blonde leaned forward to break the contact and started rolling her hips in a way that made her mate groan. She could feel how tightly wound he was and knew his own orgasm was close. When he grabbed her hips and thrust upwards roughly as he neared his peak, she fought through her own building orgasm and bit into his shoulder in the same spot he'd bit into hers, releasing the pent up magic she felt waiting to break free.

Lucy marking him sent Rogue tumbling over the edge into blissful oblivion. He could feel the light of her magic coursing through his body, settling his shadows in a way he'd never know was possible. As he came within her, he could feel her walls contracting around him as she came a second time. Her body shuddered over his just before her weight collapsed against him in exhaustion.

The room was silent with the exception of their labored breathing until Lucy gained enough thought to wonder if what she'd just done was normal. She raised her head to look at the mark she'd left on him, noticing what looked vaguely like a shooting star forming above the bite. She turned her head trying to look at her own mark but couldn't see it well.

"It looks like the dark scales that cover me when I enter Dragon Force." Rogue sounded slightly awed as he answered her unasked question while gently tracing the marking.

Lucy hummed and shifted her body to lay next to him with her head still resting just above his heart and her arm draped over his chest.

"Let's just stay here forever," she murmured tiredly.

"I don't think I'd mind that. We might get hungry, though." Rogue smiled as he hugged her nude body against his own nakedness.

A contended peacefulness settled over the room and they lay there together. Rogue could hear his mate's breathing becoming shallow as she drifted closer to sleep. He kissed the top of her head and whispered, "I love you, Lucy. I always have."

Rogue felt complete when she said, "I love you, too, Ryos. I'll never leave you again."


End file.
